Category Archives: Comings and Goings

by Lorenz M. Worden | July 16, 2013 · 6:38 pm

What’s This? – Brake Pads on Sunday?

It came as a surprise to find that the Downtube Bicycle Works is now open on Sundays (in the summer). Therefore, if you need a patch kit and an extra water bottle before heading across New York State, you can still leave on Sunday.

But wait! An internet search of nearby bicycle shops reveals that Mad Dog Bicycles and Steiner’s Sports have joined the Downtube in the battle for Sunday dollars. Here’s the lineup (as of 7/16/13):

Broadway Bicycle Company – Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
(518) 451-9400

CK Cycles – Summer: Monday-Friday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday – until 8:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
(518) 459-3272

Downtube Bicycle Works – Spring & Summer: Monday-Friday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and Sunday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM. (Fall & Winter) Monday-Friday 11:00 AM -6:00 PM and Saturday 10:00 AM -5:00 PM.
(518) 434-1711

Mad Dog Bicycles – Wednesday 3:00 -7:00 PM, Thursday-Friday 3:00 – 7:00 PM, Saturday 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and Sunday 12:00 – 4:00 PM.
(518) 439-3669

Savile Road – No hours given on website. http://savileroad.com/

Steiner’s Sports (Glenmont) – Monday-Wednesday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday-Friday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and Sunday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
(518) 427-2406

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Filed under Comings and Goings, Feature

Tagged as bicycle shops

by Lorenz M. Worden | June 25, 2013 · 11:24 am

Disappearing Shared Lanes

June 25, 2013

Nicholas J. D’Antonio
Commissioner
One Richard J. Conners Blvd.
Albany, NY 12204

Dear Commissioner D’Antonio:

This is to bring to your attention the need for replacement and refurbishment of shared lane markings on several of the streets in Albany.

The most serious case is Lincoln Ave., the first street in Albany to receive the markings. In this case, many markings are deteriorated, some are illegible, and some are, in fact, gone. (My recollection is that there was an installation issue with this street, and that DGS repaired them shortly after original installation.)

On other “shared lane streets,” plows, sweepers, salt/sand, and traffic have worn the markings.

I trust that you will attend to this issue in order to encourage more cycling in the city as well as to continue enhancing our bicycle friendly community ranking with the League of American Bicyclists.

Sincerely,

Lorenz M. Worden
President
Albany Bicycle Coalition
lorenzworden@verizon.net

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Filed under Activism, Comings and Goings

Tagged as Shared Lanes

by Lorenz M. Worden | June 4, 2013 · 10:43 am

MeetUp at the Daily Grind

A small group “met up” on a soon-to-be-sizzling Saturday at 9 AM in Washington Park to ride the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail to Troy’s outstanding Farmers Market. After cruising around the wide selection of goodies and groceries, a couple of us stopped in at the Fence Show at the Arts Center of the Capital Region to see the 555 entries. Don’t wait – the salon style show will end on 6/16 to be followed with the chosen 50 pieces to be exhibited in the “Fence Select.” While the “select” show is nice, seeing all the varied entries in many media displayed wall to wall and ceiling to floor is a real treat.

Following our visit to the Famers Market, we rode a couple blocks over to the Troy Daily Grind to present a framed photograph of last year’s Daily Grind-Daily Grind ride (see photo from 2012). The owner, Barrye, our host in years past and again for the to-be-announced 2013 ride, graciously asked the on-duty counter staff to pose for the presentation with ride leader Keith and rider Roberta. The “5th Annual” 2012 ride was a family first with young participants Indiana (pictured) and Theo (aged two at the time) who met up with us in Troy.

The 2013 Daily Grind ride will be in early-mid August.

We had a nice cruise back to Albany on a shady bicycle trail followed by a slow climb up the hill to Washington Park.

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Filed under Comings and Goings, Local Bike Rides, Rides

by Lorenz M. Worden | November 13, 2012 · 2:35 pm

Blessing or Curse? – the Washington Ave. Flyover

The Washington Ave. Flyover and Related work is complete. Two cyclists gave their opposing thoughts on the results. What are yours?

+++++

From a Daily Washington Ave. Extension Commuter – I am VERY deeply concerned. I suspect it is going to force me to change my route entirely to avoid it. I go west on Washington. If I take the flyover, I have cars and garbage trucks coming onto Washington westbound at 55 mph on my right on the on-ramp from Fuller while I am stuck between them and the other traffic doing 55 mph on my left. This is almost certain death. If I get off Washington before the flyover and go down the ramp, around the circle, and back up the ramp, I have to assert my right-of-way over the commuters coming south on Fuller Rd. and into the circle while I’m there. This also strikes me as a death-defying experience. I cannot say for sure because I have not tried it yet, but I expect this whole thing is going to be a HUGE disaster for my commute. I think the design is terrible for cyclists and sets us back instead of moving us forward. It makes one more place no normal cyclist will ever dare go.

+++++
From an Experienced Road Cyclist – I took a ride . . . through the university and along Washington Ave. Extension. I do like the new configuration at Fuller Road. It was easy to do the traffic circle and then the flyover. The condition of the road surface at that intersection is much improved, needless to say. And I do like traffic circles. I think they are fun and despite what others think, I say safer. Traffic certainly does need to slow down in order to negotiate and this seems to give equal advantage to the cyclist. [The result] could be cumulative as numbers of cyclists increase.

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Filed under Comings and Goings, Fuller Rd., Local Bike Rides

Tagged as Fuller Rd., traffic circles

by Lorenz M. Worden | October 1, 2012 · 3:17 pm

Bicycle Palooza in Albany

Bunny on a Bicycle

The featured exhibit at the Upper Madison Street Fair was Albany’s first Exotic Bicycle Exhibit. The fair’s “low carbon footprint” theme was supported admirably by the various entries.

Three in particular promoted utilitarian use of bicycles – a F. van Buuren & Co. Dutch “city bike,” a Brompton folder, and a set of two “bicycles for a small family” – one fitted with a child seat and the other pulling a tag-along. Nonetheless, the “people’s choice” awards went to more exotic fair – a Sun Spider AT “fat bike,” a 1930s Schwinn Debutante, and a souped-up Schwinn Stingray. The fair sponsors provided cash awards for each winning owner.

1st Prize – Sun Spider AT Fat Bike

2nd Prize – Schwinn Debutante 1930s

There were 23 entries including tall bikes, hand-made cargo carriers, recumbents, a folder, a vintage Raleigh, a rare Zeus, and a host of others – many of which had received lavish attention by their builders or owners. Over 85 percent of the ballots distributed to the fair guests were cast to in selecting the three winners as evidence of the crowd’s enthusiastic support for the exhibit.