Carmaggeddon #52, Is that a wig?
November 16, 2019 § 14 Comments
I had a meeting in Fullerton yesterday. That’s about 70 miles round trip. Biking from PV through Long Beach to Fullerton is about as urban as you can get, mixing it up with 18-wheelers, negotiating freeway on-off ramps, going from bike lane to no lane …
But here’s the thing. On the bike, you’re never late!
And even though the final miles home up Silver Spur-Basswood-Shorewood aren’t exactly pleasant, there were many, many happy remains of the day.
#1
I stopped to ask a homeless dude with a broken bike if he needed any help. “Nah,” he said. “I’ll get it fixed. I’m just frustrated so I figured I’d sit on the curb and cool down.”
“Okay.” I remounted.
“Hey, man,” he said, sharply. “Is that a wig?”
#2
Probably did 30 standing starts. Who says you can’t get a workout on your commute?
#3
Rode the Coyote Creek Bikeway for the first time, from where it picks up at El Dorado Park in Long Beach to Orangethorpe. So quiet, perfectly paved, peaceful.
#4
Got a great email from Todd Brown at Pedal Industries. He has seen the light and is now commuting to work. Check out his stuff. He’s local and a lifelong bike addict. NOT recovering.
#5
Dinner. No dinner tastes as good as the one you eat after a 70-mile urban SoCal commute.
#6
Smooth undercarriage. For years I’ve scoffed at chamois cream. I slapped some on yesterday because commuting wears your parts differently from regular cycling. That stuff works!
#7
Lots of friendly cagers. Going through Long Beach a guy in a BMW pulled up next to me and gave me the hugest knowing smile. Lugging my ass up Basswood, a Prius slowed to 5 mph, put down the window, and the driver shouted “You got this, man!”
#8
Coffee. When you are stuck in traffic in your cage you are just stuck in traffic. But when I started feeling pooked at about Atherton and PCH, I hopped onto the curb, parked my bike and had a cappucino. Boom!
#9
Dude in the coffee shop remarked about my suspenders. “They aren’t a fashion statement,” I said. “They’re to prevent me getting a misdemeanor citation for public indecency.” He mused. “Belt won’t work?” “Belt won’t hold the pants in place when they get heavy from the sweat.” He mused some more. “You look like Johnny Appleseed,” he said.
#10
Home.
END
Take the fuggin’ lane!
Cycling in the South Bay 
Been out of the car since March 3rd, however, looks like it may rain next week. You going to brave the the rain?
Raincoat.
It was fun to read about you riding along Coyote Creek. We live nearby. It’s our go-to route for many of our biking exploits, and we have ridden every inch of it more times than we can count. I even uploaded the video and most of the pictures on its Wikipedia page (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_Creek_bicycle_path).
The articles you’ve written since ditching the car make me think that you’re seeing a lot of places you’ve never seen before, with no need for expensive overseas travel. Nice!
Next you’ll be bike packing for vacation…
Yum.
What’s your rain plan?
Get wet.
So???
Is that a wig?
Wig or not, Seth certainly has a handsome head of hair.
Plug & weave!!
Actually …
Do the suspenders clip on to the back of your wig? This is the bestest story. We love the fuggin’ stories Seth…and since we are too shy to say it more often…thanks!
Wigspenders. And no clips. Buttons!
There’s a place up in Portland called Showers Pass. They make everything you need for a rain plan. And butt butter is dreamy, I’m not scared to admit it.