Early Spring in Syracuse

March 30, 2013

Finally the sun shown brightly through the white clouds. I gathered up both Bromptons and met a friend for a ride along the Creekwalk and a stop at the pub. It was warm enough that to sit outside, eat lunch and have a couple of drinks.

On the way back, we stopped so I could get a couple of photos of some interesting places along the way.

I'm not really sure about the story behind this mural. 

And it's really pretty. I don't understand why I haven't noticed it before. Perhaps cycling slows us down to see what is really around us?

One pretty bike!

New Syracuse Cycling Infrastructure!

The few of you who read this blog have heard me whine about the lack of bicycle infrastructure in Syracuse. While riding yesterday, I found the road construction that had torn up some of the east side of the city for almost a year included about 9 blocks of cycle paths.

This is the first path I've seen in the city painted to show it's a cycle path.

Then three blocks later we get to this. What if I'm riding my bicycle straight instead of turning right? Well, the cycle lane only turns.

What a truly lovely sight. This separated designated lane runs up the hill for 5 blocks directly to Syracuse University.  Unfortunately, the only other cyclist I could see rode in the street instead of using the pretty green cycle path. And it's only useful if one rides toward the University or away from the University.

And it's a start!

I did find another section of bike lake farther on near LeMoyne College. This was not as well marked, and after about a km I found this.

Rather hard to tell that there is a lane. Good thing they put up that sign!

I am very pleased to find even this little bit of cycling infrastructure!

Scouting out an S24O

March 36, 2013

Like Fernando from The Dirty Brompton, I'm starting to get the gear together for bicycle touring. I have been an avid reader of Russ and Laura's blog about extended bicycle touring because it combines two loves for me: bicycling and camping.

Today I took a ride to a state park on the other side of the city to get a measure of what it would mean to ride across the city. This morning was supposed to be a little cloudy and cool, 33F or 1C, but in the afternoon snow and rain were forecasted. I pushed off at around 8:45 a.m. and found that, yes it's cool, and no, it's not a little cloudy.

The sun tried to push through the clouds.

Then it started snowing more seriously. Seriously enough that I had to get out the waterproof kit. It rained and snowed on and off for most of the way to the park.

Most of the riding involved suburban and urban riding into then through then out of Downtown Syracuse. I have not riden from where I live on the west side of Syracuse to the east side in 6 months or so. There have been a few changes, positive changes! I'll show these in another blog post. I rode on roads the first 10 miles or so and traffic was not as busy as it could have been. Careful city riding makes it possible.

On the east edge of the city, the Old Erie Canal Trail picks back up. This trail runs along the Old Erie canal and right next to the entrance of the state park, about 6 miles farther on.

Again, I'm out riding a little too early in the season. The trail is crushed limestone and very wet and soft. I rode about a mile on the trail and got off, going back to the roads. Unfortunately, the roads are not as direct as the trail, so I had to ride farther.

The waling path around the lakes had been tended, removing the snow. I could see were people come to walk dogs and enjoy the scenery, but it's really too early at the park.

After a relatively easy ride to the park, given the weather, so I think an S24O to Green Lakes State park as  a first swing at bicycle touring is a great plan. Next, a 45 mile ride to Verona Beach State park, and then a ride around Lake Ontario. :)

Given the soft, wet Old Erie Canal Trail, I made a decision to ride a different way back. Turing right on 290 took me through Manlius Center and then along some nice wide but busy roads to East Syracuse and then back into the City in Eastwood. I only had one unpleasant interaction with traffic. I had taken the lane to make a left hand turn and signaled to the person in the van waiting at the stop sign. It was my right of way, and as I'm rolling into the turn, he pulled out right in front of me. Fast application of the  brakes! I really wanted my car horn... I shouted, and asked, "what are you doing!" He drove away, unconcerned.

As I arrived back home, the sun came out. Turned out to be a lovely afternoon, cloudless blue sky. Syracuse weather is crazy.

Lovely Afternoon

March 12, 2013

My lovely sister, about whom I wrote in my last post, has been visiting my mother. We met for a early lunch date and a short Brompton ride.

She, of course, had seen more Bromptons than I have, living in Belgium, but she had not ever ridden one. Having two, we parked outside of the city and rode along the Creek Walk path to lunch. The weather had been threatening rain all morning, and just as soon as we pushed off, it started to sprinkle. New York weather mimicking a Belgian winter.

After a short ride, we found the pub where we would have lunch. They had kindly (and unintentionally) kept a table free for us!

We neatly tucked the Bromptons behind the table...

and I tried to no avail to find a pint of beer that could compare with those my sister usually gets in Belgium. All of the American Belgian styles were gone on the day we visited. We did find a great cheese and charcuterie plate and friendly people with whom to talk.

The rain started in earnest while we sat there, so we spent a great couple of hours talking and laughing. On our ride back to the car, my sister pointed out how useful it would be for her to have a Brompton. She rides the train 20 minutes then takes a bus another 30 minutes to her work. She thought that if she had a nice folding bicycle, she could get off the train a stop or two sooner and ride the last 20 minutes to work, saving herself time and getting in some exercise. And, she said, if it rained on either end and she didn't want to ride, she could just take her bicycle on the bus anyway. I wisely nodded my head in agreement. I'll let her think it's all her own idea.