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The 412Flock Monthly ride thread!

Our first ride to herald warmer Spring weather (yaaaaa!) will be on Friday, March 18th. 6PM Dippy! More details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/453454824864877/
rustyred
2016-02-29 20:58:42
Friday, March 18th 6PM at Dippy! — What’s the route / Where does the ride end? / How long is the ride? — My my, so many questions. For our first ride of the year, we’ll hit Oakland, Downtown, Northside and finally end up at Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville for a pizza party. See the map here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12584141
rustyred
2016-03-15 19:19:32
~top~
marko82
2016-03-18 14:01:02
Friday April 15th is our next ride Celebrate Earth Day with us as Flock Seed-Bombs Pittsburgh! We are partnering with Apoidea Apiary in Millvalle to seed-bomb local trails with native plants that bees love! http://apoidea-apiary.com/ https://www.facebook.com/apoidea-apiary-158041110907940/?ref=hl -- What's the route / Where does the ride end? / How long is the ride? -- https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12984756 This ride is about 10 miles and takes a hour to an hour and a half to complete. We're ending the ride at OTB Cafe on the South Side. https://www.facebook.com/otbbicyclecafe/?fref=ts Our regular monthly ride meets at Dippy at 6pm on the Third Friday, departing at 6:30! https://www.facebook.com/events/1172200362812022/
rustyred
2016-04-08 13:00:25
Thanks for getting this up. Some of us that avoid car use don't sue Facebook either.
mick
2016-04-13 17:23:50
Good ride! Great weather! From Friday’s 412 Flock ride leaving Dippy biking up Millvale Ave
paulheckbert
2016-04-16 15:50:51
Saturday, May 7th! Our 2nd Annual Cinco de Mayo Ride destination is "The Cinco de Mayo Festival in Beechview" (Las Palmas 2nd Location), and we're partnering with West Liberty Cycles who will serve as our meet-up and starting point for the ride! https://www.facebook.com/events/504400519746159/
rustyred
2016-05-03 21:10:40
-Top- Siete de Mayo ride is tomorrow
marko82
2016-05-06 13:01:05
This is today at noon. Tacos!!!!!
marko82
2016-05-07 08:19:55
This month's ride is the annual Rainbow ride, this Friday, June 17th 412 Flock supports the LGTBQ community in Pittsburgh with our annual Rainbow Ride! Put on ALL of your colors and bling out your bikes and join us for this fun, boisterous and informational 10-mile ride hitting various landmarks of Pittsburgh LGTBQ history. https://www.facebook.com/events/1764602510442972/
rustyred
2016-06-14 22:04:10
Bump. 412 Flock/Rainbow ride is tonight & the NWS has 0% chance of rain for this evening.
marko82
2016-06-17 08:44:58
I'll be there on a HealthyRide!
stuinmccandless
2016-06-17 13:45:01
ahlir
2016-06-17 22:35:55
We had about forty riders last night with beautiful weather and many first-timers.
marko82
2016-06-18 08:55:29
This was about the most fun flock that I've been on.
mick
2016-06-18 16:54:18
I had a great time. But, of course, I have suggestions: The ride is advertised as starting at 6pm and rolling out at 6:30pm. Yesterday things didn't move out until just before 7pm. (I asked around and people remember it as after 7pm.) This is not right. Some of the riders, particularly novices, will not want to be out after dusk. They will give up early and will miss out on the whole experience. The ride should really be something that works as presented. And that encourages people to show up for the next one. Dino time is great for socializing, but I thought that the point of the ride (slow paced, etc) was to provide social opportunities. Let's not confine all that social stuff at the dino then Ride! But it's how it comes across. I like having the idea of having a theme and having someone present it to us. But shouldn't that happen at 6:15pm? Anyway, on a more positive note, I set up a google photos album with my pics; I believe you should be able to add to it (though maybe you need to have joined the googlephoto borg; let me know about other options). https://goo.gl/photos/rjMbDEGg114H9NVB7
ahlir
2016-06-18 19:03:03
On my (usually poorly attended) Critical Mass rides, I advertise meeting at 6, tires on pavement at 6:15. It's a different vibe, of course, but I do take into account sundown time. If possible, I try to have the ride done before sundown.
stuinmccandless
2016-06-20 12:07:43
-Top-
marko82
2016-08-18 08:44:42
Today
mikhail
2016-08-19 10:54:43
Looking forward to this!
mick
2016-09-14 13:33:23
Topping. Just because I want to see YOU!
mick
2016-09-16 16:42:56
Sometime, I'd like to see a Flock ride go up past Randyland. It's not all that far from where we're headed, but it is up a bit. Some other time, some intrepid group should try climbing up to Aryn's new shop on Burgess Street. Burgess of Suffolk-Hazleton-Burgess, i.e., Hill #7 of the Dirty Dozen, as in, the top of said hill, about 400 vertical feet above Western Ave. But if making it up to Randyland is testing the limits, Burgess is possibly an order of magnitude more difficult.
stuinmccandless
2017-03-02 21:12:28
Burgess is probably out of the realm of possibility for a Flock ride.  But Randyland is a possibility, although we usually try to avoid such residential areas.  I'll look at it, either for this month or a later ride.
epanastrophe
2017-03-02 21:30:14
Randyland may be in a residential area, but it's not exactly on a cul-de-sac: Arch St mostly feels like a through street. I've been on organized rides that went that way (including a stop to visit w/ Randy) and I get the sense that the area sees a fair amount of random bike traffic. So not a big deal. Hey, maybe Randy might have a night off and come out to say hi to the riders... Burgess, as in Dirty Dozen, is probably a bad idea even if you attack it from the top (are you proposing a brake clinic as part of the ride?). I didn't know about the Aryn shop but getting there (e.g. up Perrysville) I think is not what Flock is about. Darn geography...
ahlir
2017-03-02 21:59:00
The Flock ride was never gone this winter.   On January 20 and February 17, there were rides -albeit small -  that started at  started at Dippy somewhere around 6:30.
mick
2017-03-08 12:43:09
Well, I think we can attack both Burgess St and Randyland in one ride just in less than 20 miles. We can go a little bit out for a gentle climb to the Observatory Hill, regroup at the top (water fountain and portapotty) and then, basically, it's a roll down from there.
mikhail
2017-03-09 15:49:53
I dunno. This past year, on the 90-neighborhood ride, I was in a group that included someone whose brakes failed on a long downhill. With a trafficy street at the bottom. It could have been a serious disaster but thankfully wasn't. Mikhail and I would treat this ride as pretty routine, maybe even boring. But that's not what the Flock thing is about. It would be (very) cool to do Randyland, particularly as it's a destination. But why not then turn around and head back? That's a lot of Flock miles already. And the point is to be open to people who aren't necessarily into all this serious biking thing and just want to have a fun ride, hanging out with like-minded others. Up Perrysville (with an up Federal option for the hardcore!) followed by a tear down Burgess/Suffolk and an exciting roll down East St, exchanging middle fingers with high-speed suburban SUV drivers. I'm down with that. But it's not really a great introduction to urban biking.
ahlir
2017-03-09 17:19:06
We don't need to go "Up Perrysville". :)  We are going to go in the opposite direction!
mikhail
2017-03-09 19:53:04
Arch Street lines up with West Commons around Allegheny Center. One of the great things about Flock rides, particularly in the early days, was learning about how to get around on bike, finding the little alleyways and cut-throughs. So, getting from Randyland would be as much a useful learning experience as going to it. I'm not serious about making the big climb up to Burgess St via Perrysville or Federal, though the long climb up through Riverview Park has been done a couple of times, one of them a Flock or Flock-affiliated ride.
stuinmccandless
2017-03-10 05:31:31
"Note from our blog: "as far as we're concerned, the ride is still on for tonight! But keep an eye on the weather. We'll update on Facebook whether we go or not, probably expect a post by 4 or 5. Rain and then dropping temperatures to create icy conditions are our main worry. If the roads stay dry and it's just snow, we will definitely be a 'Go'." Hope to see you!"
https://www.facebook.com/events/391921057841236/permalink/400733620293313/  
rustyred
2017-03-17 13:57:28
We had six at the start of the ride. It was snowing hard, so we put Christmas tunes on the Flock Box, eliciting smiles from a few who were paying attention. Mostly we rode Fifth Ave from Oakland to and through downtown. We ran into stop-and-go traffic before we got very far out of Oakland because of a hockey game. I bailed at Fifth and Liberty. The wet snow had soaked through everything and I was getting badly chilled. We were also seeing a bit of accumulating snow on the street surface. The other five continued on and apparently had a good time at Big Dog Cycles.
stuinmccandless
2017-03-18 03:03:45
I'm thinking about joining tomorrow. I hope my tube doesn't go flat again. If it does, I can get it repaired at Performance in East Liberty.
zzwergel
2017-04-20 23:32:11
I biked to work today (yay!), but the necessity of the journey home often precludes hanging with the flock (boo!). We shall see.
edmonds59
2017-04-21 12:59:05
Seems you could 24 it to pretty close to your place fairly late into the evening. Once an hour service isn't great, I realize, but if you got it, you may as well use it.  
stuinmccandless
2017-04-21 17:26:52
Yeah, I've used the 24 in the past, but it's so widely spaced, not to mention miserably unreliable, schedule-wise. And later in the evening it gets literally frightening, and I am not easily frightened. A very popular route with seriously drunk people who look like they have very little to lose. Carrying half gone six-packs.
edmonds59
2017-04-24 16:01:28
@StuInMcCandless: What happened to the videos you took on Friday? Are you still editing?  
zzwergel
2017-04-24 20:51:14
Yes, I have plenty. This Darlene Harris thing, plus a problem at work, have precluded getting it put together in a proper fashion.
stuinmccandless
2017-04-25 04:50:02
@stuinmccandless: If you don't mind me asking, What happened at work?
zzwergel
2017-04-25 16:21:21
I don't discuss work on social media. Just that I worked (from home) through the weekend, so didn't have much time to process three hours of video.
stuinmccandless
2017-04-25 19:53:17
@Stu, that's ok. Three hours is a lot of video to go through. It takes time.
zzwergel
2017-04-25 22:27:22
Especially when you don't get home until 10:30 and are back up at 5:15.
stuinmccandless
2017-04-26 13:31:11
@Stu, I've been having some trouble with sleep as well for the last few days because of getting stuck on the computer. Also, For one off topic note, I have Asperger's Syndrome. Do you know what that is? If not, I can explain it. It's not a bad thing.
zzwergel
2017-04-26 18:22:59
Thanks for the update, Zach. I deal with that in my own household. No big deal. Meanwhile, I have two of the videos processed. #1, at the beginning, Lucia explaining the purpose of the ride. video link #1 #2, when we distributed the first set of seeds near the 31st Street Bridge. video link #2 More to follow.
stuinmccandless
2017-04-27 09:55:09
It's a good thing you understand. Too many people do not understand Asperger's Syndrome. Do one of your children have it or any other Autism Spectrum Disorder? By the way, I just saw the two uploads before I looked at the forum.
zzwergel
2017-04-27 16:43:14
Is this garlic mustard?
zzwergel
2017-05-02 20:00:14
No. It looks like Glechoma hederaacea....aka Ground Ivy/Gill-over-the-ground I'm surprised there aren't any blooms on it.
yalecohen
2017-05-02 23:39:45
Garlic mustard stands straight up.   This is good photo.  I have a lot of it around my house.  Good for cooking/salads if picked at the right time (and dog pee free, which is always an issue at my house) https://goo.gl/images/euyTm3   It is considered invasive so pick away at all  
edronline
2017-05-03 08:19:43
I tasted some of it, It was nasty! I spat it out because I didn't know if it was poisonous.
zzwergel
2017-05-04 12:11:35
Not poisonous, though it probably doesn't taste pleasant raw. More a food flavoring than a foodstuff. Wikipedia article
stuinmccandless
2017-05-06 06:20:22
Flock this Friday.  
mick
2017-05-18 16:34:05
Is that tomorrow?
zzwergel
2017-05-18 17:35:02
Yes, Flock is tomorrow!   May 19th is Bike to Work Day, why not end the day Biking From Work with 412 Flock and a nod to Cinco De Mayo? We'll go for an easy roll around the city and then end up back at the starting point to celebrate with Mexican food! Bring money for a taco stop at Las Palmas or feel free to share your own favorite Mexican cooking. Meet at Dippy the Dinosaur in Oakland at 6:00pm and roll out at 6:30pm. THE ROUTE: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/20756132 Don't have a bike? There's a Healthy Ride PGH bikeshare station a block from the start and end of our ride, next to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. For more information on our monthly rides, check out our website: https://412flock.wordpress.com/projects/monthly-bike-rides/   https://www.facebook.com/events/1876640625944846/?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A5%2C%22page_id_source%22%3A108626265869539%2C%22action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22main_list%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22page_id%5C%22%3A108626265869539%2C%5C%22tour_id%5C%22%3Anull%7D%22%7D]%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D
rustyred
2017-05-18 18:45:46
anytime anyone mentioned las palmas in oakland I have to provide the fact that they've been shut down 4x in the last several years by the health department for violations http://www.post-gazette.com/business/healthcare-business/2017/01/11/Health-department-again-issues-consumer-alert-for-Las-Palmas-in-Oakland-pittsburgh/stories/201701110155 and their last inspection in 3/17 wasn't very stellar at all http://webapps.achd.net/Restaurant/RestaurantDetail.aspx?ID=201106210003 You may want to premedicate with some Cipro before going.
edronline
2017-05-18 19:00:33
I made it home to Aspinwall safely! I saw a placard on the door saying "Inspected and permitted".
zzwergel
2017-05-19 22:17:47
The Las Palmas taco stand would likely not be open again had they not made upgraded their operation. And I expect they now receive more regular attention from the inspectors. For what it's worth, they now have a modified setup (more plexiglas shields and stuff). And, as always, if you're worried just slather on their way-too hot sauces to kill the germs.
ahlir
2017-05-20 11:25:27
This Friday! It's the Rainbow Ride! Celebrate with us!   Join us on Friday, June 16th as we support the LGTBQ community in Pittsburgh with our annual Rainbow Ride! We meet at Dippy the Dinosaur in Oakland at 6:00pm and roll out at 6:30pm. Put on ALL of your colors and bling out your bikes and join us for this fun, boisterous and informational 11-mile ride hitting various landmarks of Pittsburgh LGTBQ history.   Feeling festive? Decorate your bike like the folks at HealthyRide have: https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18922094_1875005919430844_2248540459386565485_n.jpg?oh=b05e9fdf6c1889f23459042ce7682b63&oe=59E31433   There's *ONE* Ride with Pride 'unicorn' bike in the fleet.
rustyred
2017-06-12 13:54:06
@Rusty, That sounds interesting! I would like to go on that.
zzwergel
2017-06-12 15:51:45
It started raining.
zzwergel
2017-06-16 13:53:04
As always, rain cancels—but this storm is supposed to pass by 4, according to current forecasts.
epanastrophe
2017-06-16 14:36:40
It still looks pretty dark in Lawrenceville with clouds moving toward Downtown. Also, Will it get rescheduled if it does rain?
zzwergel
2017-06-16 15:07:48
it looks like it is supposed to clear up on the Nexrad shortly
zzwergel
2017-06-16 16:01:51
I'm assuming it's on. Hell, Flock rolled on August 19, 2011, the day of the storm that drowned the people on Washington Blvd, another late afternoon storm. We might have been delayed an hour, and there was still water a foot deep a block away, but we cyclists had an easy time of it. I cannot speak for the ride organizers, but as I look outside at 4:01 p.m., the rain has let up considerably, so I'm assuming that two hours from now it will be even nicer. Nat'l Weather Service Radar
stuinmccandless
2017-06-16 16:02:20
@Stu, I also have a poncho in case of light rain. I'm at Caffe D'Amore in Lawrenceville and the rain has dramatically slowed. There is still water flowing down 54th St. at a rapid pace.
zzwergel
2017-06-16 16:18:15
@Stu, Did you get home safely after the McKnight Rd. flood?
zzwergel
2017-06-18 22:24:09
Took a bus to West View then biked Perry Highway. So, no problem.
stuinmccandless
2017-06-19 13:30:38
Good, I'm glad you made it. I biked all the way back to Aspinwall. Maybe tomorrow, I will check out Nova Place and/or McKnight Rd.
zzwergel
2017-06-19 18:33:30
Isa it still on? It is supposed to be very hot and humid at that time.
zzwergel
2017-07-21 10:34:28
They usually make a final determination by about 4:30. Heat and humidity are not canceling factors, but lightning is. Anyway, not my call.
stuinmccandless
2017-07-21 11:37:24
@stu, I am going to see the doctor today and I will ask him if it is ok to go for a bike ride today. I will for sure not be going if it is raining at 4:30.
zzwergel
2017-07-21 13:19:23
August's ride is this Friday!   https://www.facebook.com/events/436471666687715/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22page%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22page_upcoming_events_card%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A[]%7D]%22%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D   And don't forget the Try a Bike is this Sunday!   https://www.facebook.com/events/1064642637003779/?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22dashboard%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22calendar_tab_event%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22[]%22%7D]%2C%22ref%22%3A1%2C%22source%22%3A2%7D
rustyred
2017-08-14 20:51:11
There is an 80% chance of thunderstorm on Friday. Could it be moved to next week or a different day?
zzwergel
2017-08-15 20:30:58
No, the ride dates are set at the beginning of the year. We will still ride in the rain, but if we have thunderstorms we will just cancel it.  Check here or the Facebook page for cancelation notices on the afternoon of the ride.
marko82
2017-08-15 20:46:36
@Marko82, I cannot stand riding in rain. Why can't they be postponed in such inclement weather? How many are left for the year? I do not use Facebook.
zzwergel
2017-08-15 20:57:30
By the time of a ride, anyone might already have plans for whatever other date a ride might be postponed to.  55 people have said they are or might be coming this week, not to mention those who also don't use Facebook but know that there will be a ride on the Third Friday of the month; finding another date that they would all be able to come would be nearly impossible.  So, if the ride is not happening on the third Friday, we will just skip it and come back on the Third Friday of next month.  (You are, of course, welcome to plan, schedule, organize, publicize, and recruit riders to your own ride aside from Flock.) Additionally, Pittsburgh weather is notoriously variable; an 80% chance on Monday might well be nothing by Friday morning, and even if a raging thunderstorm is sitting over Oakland at 3pm, it could be clear and sunny by 6:30.  (There have even been months where it was raining steadily at 6, so those assembled moved across the Plaza to the tent near the carousel, and when the skies cleared by 7 the ride went on as planned.)  So, Friday afternoon, somewhere around 4--5pm, we'll make a decision about whether we'll ride or not, and we'll post it then. (As an aside, the Flock page is public, as are all the events, so you should still be able to look at https://www.facebook.com/events/436471666687715/ and see if there have been updates even if you don't have an account.  We'll try to copy updates to this page anyway.)
epanastrophe
2017-08-15 23:07:23
(An additional note:  It's August, and students (and their parents) are beginning to return to Oakland.  There's also quite a lot of construction going on as the City and the universities rush to finish up as much as possible before the end of summer or the end of the construction year.  This weekend is also Little Italy Days in Bloomfield, if I recall correctly, so the bike lanes will likely be closed by Friday and Liberty will in general probably be a mess between Bloomfield Bridge and Millvale Ave. You may wish to plan potential alternate routes, as well as allowing yourself some extra time in case of traffic jams, confused visitors, and other potential delays.)
epanastrophe
2017-08-15 23:36:57
A cyclist should always be prepared for wet weather. Mere rain should not be a deterrent to riding. Storms, yes; multiple issues during an active storm make riding dangerous. But those usually pass in a half hour or so, typically followed by hours of drizzle, not to mention the wet streets even if the rain has stopped. The worst day for a Flock Ride was August 19, 2011, the day of the flood on Washington Blvd that killed four people. Water was 12 inches deep in the street next to the park we meet at. In that one case, the ride was delayed by an hour or so, but it did proceed because the storm passed and the bulk of the water drained off.
stuinmccandless
2017-08-16 05:42:13
@Stu, drizzling is okay if there is not a lot of wind accompanying it. In such conditions, I can use a poncho. If there is more rain then one or two drops every few seconds, then it really irritates me and makes it difficult to enjoy the ride. Also we already had way too much rain recently considering making the rivers off limits for most of the summer due to combines sewer overflows. It doesn't take much rain to cause a CSO which lasts until the next rain.
zzwergel
2017-08-16 19:14:52
Anyway, not my call. I plan to be there.
stuinmccandless
2017-08-17 15:36:18
@Stu, I understand that. I will be coming as well if it is not raining. It is supposed to rain all morning and clear up in the afternoon. If it is raining at 4:30PM, I will not come.
zzwergel
2017-08-17 16:54:16
I will likely not make it. I will be out in Beaver County until late afternoon.
stuinmccandless
2017-09-12 22:02:41
I will be coming.
zzwergel
2017-09-14 12:11:30
speed:1/17 ISO:1985 yeesh
ahlir
2017-09-16 15:13:42
@Ahlir, Can you please get rid of the middle picture? I don't like how i appear to be picking my nose in it.
zzwergel
2017-09-18 11:54:51
Has anyone seen an Abus Chain key lock in Mellon Park? I couldn't find it when I got home.
zzwergel
2017-09-18 11:56:22
I deleted to original, but it still shows in the msg board. I think that a "shared" photo might become a copy and is stored separate from the original. I checked the Flickr help but there's nothing about this particular case. (Embedding things in an album and then deleting an album seems to be the way to manage things.) We can wait and see if the deletion propagates to copies. Any advice out there? If not, another option could be to have BikePgh edit the post (I no longer can).
ahlir
2017-09-18 15:38:54
@Ahlir, Ok. Also, I found my lock in one of my cargo bags.
zzwergel
2017-09-18 16:04:45
Possibly simply deleting the image causes the previous copy to stay in whatever cache it is in, but maybe @ahlir, if you're were to update the image with a new version, that might make it change. Making sure the URL from the middle image referred to your modified version.
jonawebb
2017-09-18 16:56:40
I just logged in for the first time all day and see a space for a photo, but no photo.
stuinmccandless
2017-09-18 17:55:38
@stu, I requested for the photo to be removed. It appeared as if I was picking my nose in it. @Ahlir, Thank you for removing the photograph. I really appreciate it.
zzwergel
2017-09-18 19:02:02
Tomorrow, Flockers!   https://www.facebook.com/events/1286274661427660/?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A3%2C%22source_newsfeed_story_type%22%3A%22regular%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22newsfeed%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22feed_story%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A[]%7D]%22%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D&source=3&source_newsfeed_story_type=regular&action_history=[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22feed_story%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A[]%7D]&has_source=1&hc_ref=ARQ5ghJreZ1UuXcCB_4JZaO5T4N3SSkD1ERdXqmv-zcxyFxZ-m-aGRXUMG22G0YNsVI
rustyred
2017-10-19 09:18:27
I'll be going!
zzwergel
2017-10-19 14:37:40
We're back! This Friday!
rustyred
2018-03-14 13:05:47
Is it still on for tomorrow?
zzwergel
2018-03-15 17:11:41
I'll be coming!
zzwergel
2018-03-16 10:40:29
As you figured out, Z, we aren't always real prompt, but eventually we get enough of us together that we have a fun ride.
stuinmccandless
2018-03-16 20:48:16
Yes, Would tomorrow or Sunday be a better day to take a ride out to Oakmont so I can document the riding conditions on Allegheny River Blvd. and Freeport Rd.?
zzwergel
2018-03-16 22:16:49
The weather looks ideal both days. Sorry, I can’t join you, Z. Btw, you should look into getting a rear camera, especially if you’re going to bike on difficult, busy roads like ARB. The activity you need to document is what’s happening behind you. Meanwhile, a shout-out to Lucia, for going on her first real ride in about a year and a half! Speaking to me before the ride, she said the last she was on a bike was in October 2016, before she got busy with her wedding. That and winter curtailed any riding, then pregnancy and recovery afterward kept her off the bike all of 2017, and as we all know, this has been a difficult winter, too. Also a thank you to Lucia for getting me out on a bike for the first since Icycle Bicycle back on January 1, and for leading us through parts of the East End I rarely see in a car, let alone a bike.
stuinmccandless
2018-03-17 05:10:18
@Stu, later today, I would like to send you a private message. I think I can turn my GoPro around to face backward.
zzwergel
2018-03-17 11:55:38
You could, but you should just get a rear camera and leave it there. Colleen and I have a Fly6, which doubles as a good taillight. Recharge as necessary, only pull the chip if a close pass or other incident occurred. In short, don’t short yourself on front recording just to get rear images. You need both.
stuinmccandless
2018-03-17 17:26:19
Today, I recorded the ride to Oakmont with the camera facing forward. When the video is done processing, I will upload it to YouTube and post a link. I will point it backwards another time. Should I do the same on Library Rd.?
zzwergel
2018-03-18 14:47:39
Hi everyone, I just want to make it clear as the above post(s) may cause some confusion: Flock isn't taking any routes out to Oakmont... Any chance we could take unrelated topics to another thread? That would be super.   At any rate, 412FLock's next ride is coming up this weekend! https://www.facebook.com/events/766413356882778/      
rustyred
2018-03-20 13:43:03
I'm sorry, I don't know where to place certain posts.
zzwergel
2018-03-20 16:40:39
The Viking ride is this SUNDAY! ...who's ready to pillage?
marko82
2018-03-23 15:07:00
Me. Same time and place?
zzwergel
2018-03-24 18:16:34
I noticed that. Sorry I couldn't come. It was too late when I found out
zzwergel
2018-03-25 23:26:34
Well, it was the usual time and place for the annual Viking Ride. Like the Scottish village of Brigadoon, it only comes to life for four hours a year, then sinks back into the landscape.
stuinmccandless
2018-03-26 05:22:57
It's that time again! Tomorrow! https://www.facebook.com/events/173224986702443/   Join us on Friday, June 15th, as we support the LGTBQ community in Pittsburgh with our annual Rainbow Ride! We meet at Dippy the Dinosaur in Oakland at 6:00pm and roll out at 6:30pm. Put on ALL of your colors and bling out your bikes and join us for this fun ride! THE ROUTE: TBA Don't have a bike? There are Healthy Ride PGH bikeshare stations near the start and end of our ride.
rustyred
2018-06-14 15:22:35
bump
marko82
2018-07-19 19:49:49
I'm Going!
zzwergel
2018-07-20 11:39:03
Sorry, there is a 55% chance of thunderstorm at 7:00 PM. I'm not going.
zzwergel
2018-07-20 13:56:24
Ha, turned out great. A few booms and no rain. And ice cream at the end. A fun time was had by all.
jonawebb
2018-07-20 20:26:05
Thank you, RusRed for posting this.   I'm coming, I hope I don't get rained on.
mick
2018-08-17 17:33:57
Thunder. Lightening. We had a 412Feast Flock  at the closest eatery.  It was fun.   I ate a lot. I rode through Schenley park a few times afterwards.  It was beautiful.
mick
2018-08-18 00:30:18
I'll come if it doesn't rain.
zzwergel
2018-09-19 18:51:01
The rain is expected to occur after 9pm. National Weather Service forecast discussion here.My info is from the 9:25pm Thu version. Quote: Latest model runs have trended several hours slower than previous thinking... bringing the main line of thunderstorms into the area from the NW after around 00z... and into the Pittsburgh Metro area by roughly 9-10 PM.
stuinmccandless
2018-09-21 00:14:38
They’ve moved up the onset to “from 8-9 pm”, but it still sounds like the ride should be OK, just don’t stay out too late and/or have someplace to go for cover while the storm rolls through. In short, normal conditions, keep an eye on the sky.
stuinmccandless
2018-09-21 06:01:00
Where is the ride going to end up?
zzwergel
2018-09-21 12:18:24
What is it with this ride and rain? Huge thunderstorm at Millvale Park after the end.
jonawebb
2018-09-21 23:09:23
Stu and I went to Subway to wait out most of the rain. After that, We waited for the 1 Freeport Road bus in opposite directions at the same stop. I went back to Aspinwall and he went to Downtown to get his computer so he could get the bus back to Ross Park and Ride.
zzwergel
2018-09-21 23:49:01
The Flock will meet at Dippy tonight at 6.  Rollout will be promptly at 6:30. I'm not sure where it will end up, but we'll roll through Bloomfield first, then wherever by consensus.
mick
2018-10-19 16:41:09