Albany Bicycle Coalition

by Lorenz M. Worden | February 29, 2020 · 6:12 pm

Ready for the Riding Season?

Unless you are a dedicated year-round cyclist, the condition of your bicycle(s) may be far from your mind. Right now might be the best time to think about how soon spring will arrive and how great it will be to get out for a ride – provided your bicycle is ready to go.

Le vélo de Tati

There are, of course two ways to go – a professional tune up at a local bicycle shop or a do-it-yourself job.

YOUR LOCAL BIKE SHOP – Getting a complete tune up from your bicycle shop makes the bike ride like new again. Even nuisance noises that do not affect the bike mechanically are gone and you can ride carefree. Things you might miss – one brake shoe toed out, a barely noticeable wheel wobble – will not escape the notice of good technicians. They will look over your entire bicycle in the course of doing a pre-season “tune up.”

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Remember that internet retailers will not be there for you when you need advice, repairs, a part in a hurry, or a tune up – your local bicycle shop will be. You may save a bit of change (even after shipping and the hassle of possible returns) and get “next day delivery” (who REALLY needs that?), but you’ll miss all the benefits of a good relationship with your shop’s personnel.

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Here is a list of area shops – see the Albany Bicycle Coalition website for updates. https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/resources/local-bike-shops/

Bike Barn Cycling and Fitness
109 Remsen St, Cohoes, NY 12047
(518) 238-2453
CK Cycles
1370 Central Ave., Albany 12205
(518) 459-3272
Downtube Bicycle Works
466 Madison Ave., Albany 12208
(518) 434-1711
Elevate Cycles
1581 Rt. 9, Clifton Park 12065
(518) 371-4641
Grey Ghost Bicycles
76 Lawrence St., Glens Falls 12801
(518) 223- 0148
Mad Dog Bicycles
561 Delaware Ave., Delmar 12054
Tel. (518) 439-3669
Savile Road
257 Delaware Ave., Delmar 12054
(518) 439-4766
Steiner’s Sports
329 Glenmont Rd., Glenmont 12077
(518) 427-2406
Tomhannock Bicycles
3149 NYS Rt. 7, Pittstown 12094
(518) 663-0083
Trek Bicycle Saratoga Springs
71 Church St., Saratoga Springs 12866
(518) 583-0600

DO IT YOURSELF – If you prefer to do your own work, there are plenty of “how-to” videos – a good place to start is with Park Tool’s at https://www.youtube.com/user/parktoolcompany Just as an example that anyone can use – how to fix a flat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58STtUM-Wow&list=PLGCTGpvdT04SCKR3pm1OsC5mUF9dapUuz

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Speaking of tools, you’ll want to buy the best you can find. For bicycle-specific items, again, Park Tool is a good place to start. Many shops have a display rack of commonly needed tools – by Park and others. For general-purpose tools, Sears Craftsman brand tools are now available at some hardware and home stores. With these or Snap-On, you can’t go wrong.

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You can use your multitool for many maintenance and adjustment steps but you’ll be happier and do a better job with regular tools. Save the multitool for on-the-road attention.

tumblr_nn47ut4TWt1t19os5o1_500 Another resource for “do it yourself” is “open bike night” at your local community bike rescue. Here you’ll find camaraderie with like-minded cyclists and advice if you get stuck. You might even want to show off your newfound bicycle servicing skills by volunteering at the bike rescue – there’s no better way to learn than to teach someone else.

Bike Rescues – Here is a list of area bike rescues – see the Albany Bicycle Coalition website for updates. Go here – https://albanybicyclecoalition.com/resources/albanybikerescue/

Albany Bike Rescue – 15 Trinity Pl., Albany 12208, AlbanyBikeRescue@gmail.com, (518) 227-1030 – The Albany Bike Rescue (ABR) hosts community bike repair and educational workshops every Tuesday night from 6:15 to 8:00 PM.
Electric City Bike Rescue – 189 Jerry St, (off Watt St. at the McGathan Townhouses Community Center) electriccitybikerescue@gmail.com
Troy Bike Rescue – 3280 6th Ave., (North) Troy 12180, (518) 328-4827, WINTER HOURS- Wednesday open shop 5-8 pm

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Downtown Albany and Patroon Creek

This is an effort to trace Patroon Creek from the Tivoli St. area to its mouth at the Hudson River. It is part of the Albany Bicycle Coalition’s promotion of the Patroon Greenway development. Patroon Creek was also known as Bloomaert’s Kill, Fifth Kill, Vyfde Kill (Dutch for “fifth”), and Flodderkill

Other Patroon Greenway Project posts are Patroon Creek Greenway Trail Ride 11/19 and Patroon Greenway Project – Yardboro Ave. to Everett Rd.

Start in the “warehouse/lumber district” of the City of Albany. The tree line parallel to Tivoli St. near American Boiler, Tank, and Welding – this is a beautiful section of the creek – see map https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pleasant+St,+Albany,+NY+12207/@42.6641789,-73.7463031,242m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89de097f81b7ea1d:0x506e790e6c94fe64!8m2!3d42.662751!4d-73.744764 See also photos.

Behind 44 Tivoli St. is a footbridge (accessible from a parking lot on Pleasant St.). This affords an almost idyllic view up and down stream. At American Boiler, Tank and Welding, again accessing from Pleasant St., a vehicular bridge again affords views of the creek. Much of this area is privately owned so permission might well be sought before exploring.

PHOTO 1 – The footbridge behind 44 Tivoli St. accessible from a parking lot on Pleasant St. with the Hudson River to the right.

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PHOTO 2 – The footbridge behind 44 Tivoli St. looking east toward the Hudson River.

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PHOTO 3 – From the footbridge behind 44 Tivoli St. looking west (upstream).

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PHOTO 4 – From the footbridge behind 44 Tivoli St. looking east (downstream).

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The next identifiable feature in the path to the river are two Erie Canal-era culverts that allowed the creek to flow under the canal as they now do under Erie Blvd. The culverts are behind locked “chain link” fences and are covered with perforated steel plates – thus, they are not visible. They are immediately adjacent to National Grid area and Huck Finn’s Warehouse, 25 Erie Blvd.

Culvert #1 – west side of Erie Blvd. – see map https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6614229,-73.7411599,3a,75y,291.62h,102.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqbqtplEI2q36VpAeuBE2vQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Culvert #2– east side of Erie Blvd. – see map https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6613315,-73.7412178,3a,75y,137.06h,76.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUBvjA2WBOtlukpC5ggRY-g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Photo 5A – Culvert #1 – west side of Erie Blvd.

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Photo 5B – Culvert #1 – west side of Erie Blvd.

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Photo 6A – Culvert #2 – east side of Erie Blvd.

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Photo 6B – Culvert #2 – east side of Erie Blvd.

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On Google maps, following easterly along Manor St. from the Tivoli St.-Pleasant St. tree line shading Patroon Creek and then crossing Erie Blvd. (once the path of both the original [“Clinton’s Ditch”] and the enlarged Erie Canal) at the site of the above culverts, brings one to the mouth of the creek where it empties into the Hudson River. – see map https://www.google.com/maps/dir/42.659469,-73.7382589//@42.6594736,-73.7385021,261m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e1 at about 2,800 ft. from the above footbridge over Patroon Creek.

2 Comments

Filed under Patroon Greenway, Trail Network

by Lorenz M. Worden | January 12, 2020 · 9:30 am

Riding To Get Somewhere ~ or ~ the Invisible Rider

Many in the City of Albany- utilitarian cyclists – ride their bicycles because that is their primary means of transportation. We know that there are “a lot” of these bicycle riders who apparently are not engaged in the discussion on bicycle facilities and bicycle safety issues. They do not appear to join with or participate in the activities of “bicycle advocacy groups.” They do not appear at public meetings and presentations on proposed roadway modifications that may affect them.

The question is: How can we engage with these “riders of necessity” – Utilitarian cyclists – so that their concerns can be brought to the table?

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The pictures that follow are from ABC’s collection of people on bicycles” and are not intended to identify or categorize any person or rider but merely to illustrate an issue for outreach and investigation.

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1 Comment

Filed under Activisim, City Review, Riding to Get Somewhere, utilitarian cyclists

by Lorenz M. Worden | January 7, 2020 · 1:29 pm

South End Bikeway Connector Rumbles Along – Cont’d (12/26/19)

Looking south to work-in-progress connecting the trailhead/parking to the cycle track on S. Pearl St. (The traffic light is at Old S. Pearl St.)

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The new CDTA pickup at the north end of the Pearl St. segment of the cycle track (just visible behind the booth). Ezra Prentiss homes at the far right.

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Those big, stinking, noisy, fuming trucks still very much part of the daily scene – and notably traveling above the speed limit.

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The end of the cycle track on the north end of Frontage Rd. at Church St./Vine St. (Tank bombs to the left.)

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“Even If You DON’T Build It, They Will Still Come”

Here’s a message for Albany County and the City of Albany – 12,000 bicycle riders can’t be wrong.

In closing out its third season, CDPHP Cycle! BikeShare confirmed 41,578 rides (and 12,000 members) in the 4-city service area. The BikeShare program has a treasure drove of data telling where people picked up a bicycle, where they went, what route they took, where they made intermediate stops, what they had for breakfast, and how fast they rode. These riders (generally) are NEITHER day-to-day commuters riding their own bicycles NOR people in $200-300 riding “kit” on high-end bicycles. In addition, the BikeShare season is only 8 months long. BikeShare riders also (again, in general) have made a commitment (by registering as a seasonal members) to using the service – they are not all one-time, one-day tourists.

Bike Share

In addition to these clear data, Albany Bicycle Coalition staff has provided cycling data from Strava as evidence that (for example) New Scotland Ave. is heavily used by cyclists. Strava* compiles monthly heat maps with trip data from cyclists. Municipalities are increasingly using Strava data for planning purposes. Yes, riders who use Strava would tend to be “serious” and committed cyclists but the data are a good proxy for all riders especially (as in the case of New Scotland Ave.) there is only one direct route available.

Therefore, we have data that goes beyond the anecdotal. Hard numbers. Not what someone “thinks” or “was told,” or “heard.” One would be ill advised to discount these data as being about “those bicycle people.”

What’s the message?

If you do not subscribe to the theory “if you build it, they will come,” you might entertain the actuality that people demonstrably want to use bicycles to get “from here to there.” Environment, health, expense, no choice, preference, advocacy – who knows the motivation? The reality still is that there are people on bicycles “out there” who, given similar economic/socio backgrounds pay MORE for road construction and maintenance then their less enlightened petrovehicle colleagues and who want and need safe, direct, connected bicycle facilities.

CDTA CDPHP Cycle! BikeShare has more data (“heat maps”). If you are in government or are an advocate for safe roads and healthy commuting, you might use these data to support your case. Contact – – LindseyG@cdta.org

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*Strava is a social fitness network primarily to track cycling and running exercises using GPS data. Strava offers a free service with no advertising in its mobile application, and a monthly subscription plan called Strava Summit. See – https://www.strava.com/about

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