Sibling Rivalry from a Common Mother

The Peach Arch at the Border Between Washington State and British Columbia
The Other Side of the Arch States "Children of a Common Mother"

The US and Canada share the longest, undefended border in the world. Both celebrate their national days in July. Canada celebrates Canada Day on July 1 and the US celebrates Independence Day on July 4. 

After the War of 1812, Britain and the US agreed to settle their disputes peacefully. Thankfully, we have managed to avoid any real fights since then. Still, there remain many differences. The video lists 25, though I'm not sure I would really cite Quebec as Canada's Texas....

Helmet Hilarity

Yesterday, I rode my bike past the library and dropped some books into the return slot. Sitting by a bench next to the front door was a man, seated on the bench, taking advantage of the library's free internet that works even at 6AM on Mondays. He'd ridden his bike to the library and, as is typical of tourists, had a colorful helmet on. Now one might wonder how a helmet offers protection while seated on a bench operating a laptop.

Suddenly, the thought occurred to me that he was wearing the helmet for protection in case his computer crashed! I really, really wanted to ask him that, but rode on instead, silently chuckling to myself...

Bicycle Mystery

In response to my "Goodbye to Old Friends" post, Whareagle made a comment from which I quote:

• "whareagle said...  Dude - go to "Google Trends" and type in 'cycling', then focus in on the US, then Texas, and set the date to 2004-present. We're F'ed. The US is F'ed in regards to cycling, and Texas is REALLY F'ed.  I'm out of business. I got a call from TWO other Level 1 coaches, asking for work..."

At the time, I advised against panic (I've been known to cite Google Trends myself, such as here and here), even though he was completely correct in his observation of the Google trends.  These are shown in the two graphics below, along with "bicycle" for comparison

US Google Trends for bicycle and cycling. Bicycle now sits at 33% of its Peak

Things Look EVEN WORSE in Texas, Where Bicycle has dropped to 25% of its Peak

Things certainly look dark for those of us that frequently use human-powered two wheeled vehicles for transport. However, things are not always as bleak as they first appear. To check things out a little more thoroughly, I tried a couple of similar, but different search terms, adding "Bicycle" as a topic rather than a search term, and also "bike" as a comparitive search term. THAT shows a rather different story

Searching for the Term "Bike" Suggests Searches are 76% of the Peak

I checked further, Looking at my old post, I decided to see how the term "vampire" has fared over time, since it was more popular than "cyclist" back when I posted here. Well, instead of cyclist and vampire in Texas as I used then, I used bike and vampire in Texas. The results are shown below:

As you may note, the term "bike" is still sitting at 69% of its peak, while interest in "vampire" has dropped to 29% of its peak. My point? I think panic is premature and we'd be wise to not get too thrilled with cycling-related results from Google Trends.

Vampires Seem to be Disappearing from Texas!

Cold Here Too

Only One Vehicle Dared to Brave the Cold this Morning in Ocean Shores - Who Says You Need 4WD?

Just as in North Texas, as noted here and (even better) here, bitter cold winter conditions have bedeviled Ocean Shores, Washington.

Dead Juniper in the Yard

Following a period in which the local lake froze over, we had a drought in the greenhouse that, combined with the dark and cold winter, wiped out all of the vegetation except some of the onions. What's more, the winter, combined with a reciprocating saw, wiped out our Juniper bushes in the front yard.

To top things off, we've got sleet covering up the landscape. As you can see at the top of this post, there's only been one vehicle going down our street this morning.

Still, like our hardy Texas cousins, we will replant and rebuild! Luckily, unlike California's Donner Party, the local grocery store is less than two miles away. Still things are looking up in Ocean Shores. We've actually got Internet at the house now. It's only 3Mbps, but that's still better than depending on cellular data.

WHAT We're Replanting in Ocean Shores

Getting Ready for a New Shed Door

Whimsy From a Bike

Yesterday, my route took me once more past the topiary elephant I pointed out here. It prompted me to record that the Ocean Shores vicinity seems to have an unusual amount of yard art and generally "beachy" items. Some purport to be useful, such as the raccoon reflector and mailbox. Never mind that both are really just excuses for whimsy under a thin veneer of utility. Hmm, I guess this is somewhat similar to the way that Kermit on Frankenbike pretends to be a useful "horn."

Some items take a more educational bent such as the pencils and bear below.

Some take an historical perspective, such as the farm implement below.

Remember, Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires!

The Lady Told me She Got that Monkey Puzzle Tree Online Since Nobody Local Sells Them
The Cart Repair is a Winter Project so the Driver Can be Reinstated

Don't Ask Me How this Gadget Works

But many are merely fanciful, such as the final items on this post. In this case, that includes the "Texas Star" which is seen on quite a few houses hereabouts, though I haven't seen anyone agitating to join up and add a second star to the Lone Star State. One lady I asked didn't know they ARE Texas stars.

Northwest Texas?

 

 

 

And, of course, Kermit approved! Stay tuned for Kermit's NEXT adventure, entitled "Kermit Goes Salmon!"

Kermit's Garden Cousin?

Cycling Drops in North Texas

The House from "Nightmare on Pecan Street" - Halloween 2012

I read a lot of cheery stories around the USA how cycling is UP, UP, UP. Well, looking back to just three years ago, I can tell you that really isn't true, at least in North Texas. THIS house led me to the horrific discovery.

For those that are not even more observant than Sherlock Holmes, I made a post about the above house, located on Pecan Street in Bedford as Halloween approached in 2009.  The post is HERE. The photo below was from that post. This year's display is completely different at this house than it was three years ago. Somehow, these people (if that is what they really are) put up a bigger and new display every year.

Pecan Street House in 2009

But I digress from the subject. You see, in that very same post, I included a search using Google Trends in which I discovered that the search term VAMPIRE is ten times as popular as the search term CYCLIST. That was bad enough, but Texas ranked number seven in how popular vampires were, while it was not too high in ranking cyclists.

After looking at this, I decided to see how things had changed. And they've changed a LOT. Unfortunately, for my loyal local reader, the news is not good. The diagram below shows the same search today. Texas has moved from number six in Vampire share to first in the ENTIRE USA. Texas may not be known as a cycling Mecca, but it appears to have become the "Vampire State." Next you know, they'll be building the "Vampire State Building" in downtown Dallas as the husks of poor deceased cyclists are blown about in the wind; all the blood sucked from their poor bodies.

Yup, things are NOT looking good for cycling around here. In a faint attempt to cheer y'all up, I'll part by saying "Ride Happy Clear Across Texas," though I'm not sure if that has any conceivable relevance to this post.

So Long Patches Pals

Everyone I grew up with watched JP Patches spin a wonderful world from the City Dump in Seattle. "Check for a present in the washing machine, Nancy." Chris Wedes, the man behind the nose has passed away. Somehow, I suddenly feel old, through my tears. Rest well, you've earned it. Apparently, being a Patches Pal is a life sentence. Never mind, it's a "Seattle Thing" (my wife, from Everett, says that is wrong - they loved JP at least as much as we did in Seattle) and I will be back to an irascible Texas mode pretty soon.

Helmetlessly Hurting

Yesterday, I wasn't wearing my helmet. I knew that not wearing it exposed me to the risk of a brain injury. I, too, have read the newspaper scare comments about cyclists eating (or is it drinking?) through a straw and (insert your favorite troll comment here). I've even hit my head before. As is usual in such cases, the event was totally unexpected, though foreseeable to any dispassionate observer. To modify a phrase to better suit the collision in question: "When an engineer and a filing cabinet collide, the cabinet always wins." Though, in my own defense, the cabinet suffered a dent and thus did not get away totally unscathed. When I donned my helmet for the ride home, I felt that cabinet's pain all the way home. Ditto for the commute today. Luckily for where I work, it did not QUITE rise to the status of a recordable incident. Darn that Safety Pyramid!

First View of Fall Texas Color

Vibrant Fall Color!

Rantwick, here, threw down a gauntlet. Luckily, we Texians were ready. Instead of the color, shown here (looking the same yesterday as when shot for the original post), we've got REAL Fall color; shown below. Y'all, COME AND TAKE IT!

North Texas Fall Color, Shot Yesterday

MORE North Texas SARAT Color, Shot Yesterday

Typical Current North Texas Fall Color

Car School Almost Gets Gumby

It is time to take a little break from bike school discussions. It may not be well known, but just as people that think they know how to ride a bike go to bike school, people that think they know how to motor go to car school. This morning, I made a pilgrimage to bring y'all secret spy shots of a motoring CAR SCHOOL in action. Since it seems that some people on bikes are sure motorists are out to get them, I focused on actions that might support their contention. Specially, I took a look at parking lot drills, and especially dooring practice, debris creation, and what, in less scrupulous hands, might look like a photo of Gumby about to be run down.

Without further ado, here is the story. I elected to write my story about the local Jaguar Club event. They call it a "Concours d'Elegance," but it really serves the multiple purposes of giving them practice opening their doors, arranging debris, and encouraging self loathing (it is an event where you PAY people to tell you how lousy your car is). Some say this fosters road rage, but I haven't ever seen a connection myself. Perhaps it is a motoring version of one of the cycling myths I occasionally talk about.

When the motorists arrive, they are checked out to ensure the cars meet minimal standards. This is called a "mechanical check." In the photo below, you can see a Jaguar XJS being checked out. Its motorist is asked by the mechanical judge to put her cell phone aside and do things like prove her horn and lights work properly. Contrary to what some believe, the motorist is NOT encouraged to yell at the judge to "get off the road," though I have read the rules very carefully and there is not any actual deduction established for yelling at a judge or even for running one over. As when dealing with a real judge, it seems most motorists err on the side of being nice to the judge. You might wonder about the ambulance in the background. It is possible the driver was merely interested in watching the car show. However, my own theory was that it was there in case any of the Jaguars with a V12 engine suddenly burst into flames. None actually did so while I was there, or I'd have included it with these pictures.

I did Not See Any Motorists Yell at the Pedestrian Judge. Lots of Smiling.

As you can see, some of the motorists don't have the dooring concept down properly. This Jaguar Mark 9 owner only had his door open on the curb side. Chatting with the owner, he got that Jaguar on the roof at a garage sale for $2. It keeps watch in case any show judges are lurking around nearby. The cone is near the boundary of the street side door zone if he'd wanted to open the door on that side. For those that have never seen one of these cars, they are very much like the Mark 8 car that is featured in the old Hitchcock film; "Vertigo," which starred Jimmy Stewart.

Big Cat Keeps Watch on Top of Another Big Cat

Other motorists elected to try all ways to get those doors out in the breeze. The blue car is a Mark 2. The Mark 2 was a more compact model than the Mark 9. In the UK, they were much favored by getaway drivers.

This Door Opening Strategy Would Catch a Cyclist on EITHER Side.

Some of the motorists adopted an entirely different approach. The owner of this XK140 didn't have any doors open at all. Instead, the debris, cleverly disguised as trunk contents and cleaning supplies, would be SURE to entrap any cyclist venturing too close to the left hand side of the car.

1955 Jaguar XK140

Now, some people on bikes like to ride closer to cars than would be prudent if a door actually opened. Perhaps they imagine all cars have tiny doors like the 1968 Jaguar E type Open Two Seater in the photo below. My own E type is a coupe version of the same car, though mine, being a year earlier has covered headlights, more power, and a tiny ding in the bonnet where a bike crashed into it. THAT will be a story saved for another day. Not that I pay any attention to such things, but I'd say that Jaguar looks an awful lot like it is painted Silver Opalescent Blue.

Notice How Visible The Spectator in Green is, Even Though She is Not in the Foreground

Some motorists decided to team up and have a whole ROW of open doors. Somehow, I think this tactic would not be very effective at snaring even a dumb person on a bike. I also think these guys lowered their chances by parking on the left side of the street. Even in North Texas, the majority of people on bikes ride on the RIGHT side of the road. Perhaps they were trying to remind the cars they originally came from the UK. It didn't occur to me to do an in depth interview on this phenomenon until after I got home.

Unlike Toyotas, Jaguars Seem to Hang Around FOREVER. The Ones on This Row, On Average, Would Be Old Enough to Vote if They Were People

However, completely unexpectedly, I saw a little green man on the pavement. My initial reaction was that, somehow, John Romeo Alpha's Gumby had migrated to Texas. Closer examination revealed that it was nothing more than an action figure that looked somewhat "Gumby like" from a distance. I named it "Almost Gumby."

"Almost Gumby." Smooshed a Little But Unbroken!

Careful perspective and zoom choice created an impression that "Almost Gumby" was about to get creamed by a powerful, late model Jaguar. No doubt, someone trying to sell cycling by scaring people (is that a real good marketing technique?), would claim this car was driven by a raging maniac. In truth, the driver was a very nice lady who was getting coffee before she got down to seriously preparing her car for the judges to tell her how she failed to measure up.

And such is one form of CAR SCHOOL. I have to say, those that tell you all vehicles are the same are NOT telling the truth! Cars really ARE different, and some cars are different than the rest.

Throwing Up Will Have to Wait

Rantwick's comment has gotten me thinking. My dear reader who's has followed my blog for a while knows that me thinking while riding a bike is always dangerous. For example, I quickly realized that quick stops and head checks can both reduce the mess. But, something unusual happened on my commute home tonight. I rode in a door zone. And I'd do it again. However, you can probably count on me sneaking a little Bike Ed into the piece.

Endangered Species

North Texas Endangered Species - a Residential Yield Sign
For the Record, Motorists Behave Just as They Would if it'd Been a Stop Sign

Earlier, I wrote about the Idaho Stop Sign law and wondered why nobody ever seemed to think of not only implementing it for cyclists, but for motorists as well. John Romeo Alpha didn't think that was a good idea, because I think he doesn't believe in the "Land Rover Rule" corollary as applied to the John Forester dictum, namely "Motorists fare best when they act, and are treated, as the drivers of other vehicles."

APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE INSTEAD OF AUTOSTOP!
One solution to stop sign mayhem is the replacement of most stop signs with what is an endangered species, namely the Yield Sign at locations other than freeway onramps. I made a detour on my way home from work to take a photo of the only such sign I know of that is in North Texas. I LOVE THAT SIGN!!!!!!!!!!!

MAKE EVERYONE LEGAL?
A second solution would be to adopt my "equal opportunity Idaho stop" law.

TEXAS HAS A BETTER WAY!
However, I decided to reread the Texas Statutes about stop and yield signs. As it turns out, there is an easy solution. The law, as it currently stands, follows:

Sec. 545.153. VEHICLE ENTERING STOP OR YIELD INTERSECTION. (a) Preferential right-of-way at an intersection may be indicated by a stop sign or yield sign as authorized in Section 544.003.

(b) Unless directed to proceed by a police officer or official traffic-control device, an operator approaching an intersection on a roadway controlled by a stop sign, after stopping as required by Section 544.010, shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that has entered the intersection from another highway or that is approaching so closely as to be an immediate hazard to the operator's movement in or across the intersection.

(c) An operator approaching an intersection on a roadway controlled by a yield sign shall:

(1) slow to a speed that is reasonable under the existing conditions; and

(2) yield the right-of-way to a vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another highway so closely as to be an immediate hazard to the operator's movement in or across the intersection.

(d) If an operator is required by Subsection (c) to yield and is involved in a collision with a vehicle in an intersection after the operator drove past a yield sign without stopping, the collision is prima facie evidence that the operator failed to yield the right-of-way.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

OK, cutting through all the legalese, here're what the rules are. I'll bet they are pretty similar where you live since most places base their traffic laws on a common, uniform model code. You have to STOP at a stop sign. Otherwise, the rules are the same as for a yield sign, except that the law goes a bit further to note that if you DON'T stop at a yield sign and collide, it is YOUR FAULT. In reality, that is the same as the Idaho stop.

BUT, if you look at the little item in (b) that I put in red bold, we could make stop signs all over the place conform to the REAL world, without having to add a single new law or replace a single stop sign.

One example is shown below:

Just stick these puppies underneath about 99% of all the stop signs that currently plague ALL traffic in a hopeless attempt to slow motorists down generally. Those same motorists will still slow WAY down whenever they see a stop sign with one of the ones with a modification advisory below it. If needed, you could even tell everyone they better not be going over 1mph when the they treat it as a yield sign. But such refinements bear the risk of sign variety, know in the nuclear weapons trade as "proliferation."

AVOID SIGN PROLIFERATION
Of course, it isn't very inspired, and probably doesn't conform to the traffic device rules, but I don't claim to be a traffic engineer. If you were determined to pander to people on bikes, you could make the sign "Cyclists treat as yield." If you were an animal lover, you could make it "Dog Carts Need Not Stop." I'll bet each of you could come up with a dozen variants. For example, PaddyAnne might want one saying "Bikes With COOL Bells Treat as Yield." John Romeo Alpha might want "Stop if you Don't Get Up and Go Ride." In Austin, they might want signs saying "Treat as Yield if You are a Longhorn." Still, personally, all humor aside, I think such stop sign supplements, to be generally understood, ought to be simple and nondiscriminatory. What's more, sign proliferation is NOT a good thing. Traffic works as well as it does because the rules are simple and few. THAT, more than anything else, is the problem with much new bike stuff such as bike boxes and green paint - it confuses people. KISS is an honored principle.

I can think of hundreds of places these little gems could go. And, while they might remain endangered, the few remaining Yield signs around could take comfort that many other signs were with them in the spirit of Texas 545.153(c).

ONE FINAL UPDATE
Pre-emptive war was not a "Bush" thing. From 1972, Randy Newman sings an anthem of why you don't want the nuclear thing to get out of control. To video from Dr Strangelove, inspired by Los Alamos Bikes.

Listen to it at another level and it could be a cyclist anthem though I would never want to drop the big one on my motorists.

Time Warp Silliness

This has been a strange week. Monday morning I overslept by about 40 minutes. Despite that, I arrived at work no more than four minutes later than usual. Today, I misread the clock and inadvertently got up and ready about 50 minutes EARLY. I caught the error before leaving the house, and so my preparation acquired a much more leisurely pace, but I still left a full 45 minutes earlier than usual, thinking “well, I’m already ready to roll, so maybe we’ll just take it easy and maybe take an alternate route.” Before you knew it, I was lost and it was still dark out.

Anyway, I know the v3 commute route and variants well enough by now that I wasn’t TOO lost and I soon wound up at work. Before you can say “By Jiminy,” I found myself starting work – five minutes earlier than usual.

So, let’s see. I get up 40 minutes late and it delays me 4 minutes. I get up 50 minutes early and I get to work 5 minutes earlier. If we assume this is a fairly linear relationship, it suggests that if I wake up an hour later than I did on Monday, I’ll arrive at work before I leave home. If I get up TWO hours later, I’ll arrive at work before I even get out of bed! Hmm. Y’all think things are linear?

It is well known that traffic (and the associated starts and stops) delays bicycle commuters much less (even cyclists that carefully obey all the signals and signs) than it does motor commuters. Now, you know that there may actually be a time warp effect that makes it possible for a bike commuter to arrive before he/she leaves. Who would have known that it’s possible to travel quicker than they do in Star Trek – on a bike? One to beam up!

Commute Mystery

Passing Motorists Seem Fairly Unconcerned, but They'd Feel Different if a Bike Suddenly Leaped Through Their Windshield!
I Took the Photo from the End of the Little Sidewalk. Why Would Bikes Cross Here?

While I look all around each time I encounter it, I’ve not seen any bikes crossing my route yet, or even lurking in the vegetation. The sign in the photo above (and below) raises a lot of questions beside the obvious; “Why did the bicycle cross the road?”

One wonders if these are wild, feral bicycles we are being alerted to in a civic campaign akin to the deer warnings so ubiquitous in rural areas. Might these be criminal bikes and hence the need for the “warning” element in the sign? Why, I wonder, does this sign coincide with the end of a sidewalk that runs for not much more than 50 feet total? How, exactly, DOES a bike cross the road without a human being involved? Can a bike cross the road by itself without a kickstand or perhaps it is only PURE bikes that cross roads by themselves?

And then there’s the sign itself. It’s new, and one of those temporary type signs, but otherwise appears to be a very official advisory sign of the sort that Texas installs so often; warning us to “Observe Warning Signs.” Has there been a rash bicycles crashing into motorists recently as they dash across the road toward the retirement home, or maybe they’re retired bikes that are making one last bid to sow wild oats? I see no evidence of scattered components, either from motor vehicles or bikes. Perhaps there’s been recent internet “chatter” and the Department of Homeland Security expects extremist bicycles, with explosive-laden suicide panniers attached, to dash out into the road and detonate themselves against passing targets of opportunity. If so, are these members of the “Bicycle Liberation Front” that are responsible for 90% the automotive flat tires in the US, or are they shady agents of overseas influences? And why don’t these bikes simply follow the advice so often offered and simply “get off the road?” I looked all around and didn't see any sneaky bikes hiding anywhere around, not even any WITHOUT suicide panniers. Nor did I see any gates from which bikes might emerge midblock.

I must note this is one of the strangest bike signs I’ve ever encountered. It rises beyond the more common dumb or dangerous signs to simply become – mysterious.

No Wild Bikes in Evidence, Just the Single Domesticated One
By the Way, the Bag is Not Silver in Normal Light - It is Reflective "Illuminite" and the Flash Went Off

Wow, Kickstands ARE Useful



With a Kickstand, You Don't Need a Bike Rack!

This morning, preparing for the adventure to come, Frankenbike was a bit indisposed, with light mountings that didn't want to work quite right without further fiddling. Realizing that it'd been a while since I've ridden my wife's bike, I took it out for a little coffee. When I got there, there was an empty parking spot that I suddenly realized would work well for a bike with a kickstand. Since thise coffee shop doesn't have a bike rack, I decided to park like the peasants park.

NOW I know why all you out there keep those kickstands on your transportation bikes. So you can park without laying the bike down on all that oily greasy parking slot. Some of us take a little longer. The only problem that I can see with this is the bike isn't secured to anything. THAT explains why y'all go for those heavy bikes! A heavy bike is harder for a thief to lift and throw into the back of his/her waiting white pickup.

As a result, I shall have to retire the photo below. Who needs a stinkin' bike rack?

I've Seen the Light, Kickstands DO Have a Use!

Truly Grumpy

PM Summer of Cycle*Dallas welcomed me to the "Grumpy Cyclist Society," or words to that effect a while back. Even my sidebar notes that I get grumpy once in a while, but the final straw was "Suburban Bike Mama" getting grumpy, here.

THAT, my loyal reader, is the final straw, so I have decided to bring it out of the closet and show y'all what Grumpy really is. I'll note that it isn't pretty, but it DOES have an Orlando connection. I think even PM would concede that it doesn't get all preachy and it doesn't involve any spandex or lycra.

For my secret, go here (this IS a "G" rated blog). Have a nice day, or as someone else says on every post he makes, "Get up. Go ride."

Actually, I wasn't particularly grumpy today. Weather Channel had a 70% chance of rain but I made it both ways with not a single drop, and an unusually low number of motorist interactions, to the point that Ham would wonder if somehow I messed up and rode in on a national holiday. Sweet.

Durango, AKA Sundance Square Secret Agent?

Sundance Square, Showing Parking Lot, Historic Building at Left

and Less Historic DR Horton Tower in the Background

One of my favored blogs is "Durango Texas." It's about the adventures and misadventures of a Washington boy in Fort Worth. Being from Seattle and living in Tarrant County near Fort Worth, it is irresistable to me. One thing notable about Durango is he's a little suspicious of the officialdom of Fort Worth. While he thinks Fort Worth is corrupt, I think it's just a little more honest about its approach than a lot of other places that make pretences to honesty. Chicago, for example. Heck, Everett for another example.

Anyway, at 4:56PM, someone claiming to be affiliated with Sundance Square, with a name of "Tracy Gilmour," wrote:
x
I stumble upon blogs that discuss Sundance Square and saw your post about Bass Hall and Sundance Square. I thought you might like to know Sundance Square is actually 35 blocks of Fort Worth, all privately owned. While there are two central parking lots, most of Sundance Square consists of turn of the century ( the last century) restored historic buildings. We have received numerous awards and recognitions regarding the architectural aspects of Sundance Square. We recently won the Urban Land Institute Award of Excellence. So, I hope on your next ride through town you will stop to admire some of our finer points such as the Knights of Pythias Hall (Haltom’s leases the ground floor now) or the Burk Burnett Building ( Worthington bank is on the first floor) Sundancesquaremanagement.com has short descriptions of all of the buildings in SSQ both new and old. Maybe that will provide some interest for your next visit.
x
This would not be especially notable, except that exactly twelve minutes later, at 5:08PM, Durango made a comment on my blog about - you guessed it - Sundance Square. Said he:

 x

This is the first time I've seen someone, besides me, accurately describe what Sundance Square is.
x
This combination of circumstances intrigued me a bit, so I went to Sundancesquaremanagement.com to see more about it. I always figured it was just those two parking lots. Imagine my surprise to find that Sundance Square actually has NINE different parking lots, and that doesn't include the ones contained within the highrise buildings. My apologies! In fairness, if you go to that website and click on the "retail" or "office" tab, there are brief synopses of the historic buildings, as well as some of the glass skyscraper boxes. How cool is that? Some of these buildings really ARE worth a look see, and I'm not just talking about the one that contains Starbucks.
x

SO: WHO, OR WHAT, IS TRACY AND/OR DURANGO?

I have a number of hypotheses:

• Durango MIGHT be secretly a double agent named Tracy, somehow mixed up with Sundance Square
• Sundance Square might be getting psychic messages from Durango when he contemplates anything having to do with Sundance Square.
• Maybe Durango's computer has been hacked by Sundance Square
• BOTH might be alter egos of Doohickie, who is the only one I know that knew that the pretend bike cops with the yellow helmets that do not know how to ride on urban streets are Sundance guards, unlike the Fort Worth bike cops who clearly DO know how to operate safely on the road.
• It MIGHT all be pure coincidence.

Exclusive: Get There by Bike!

HOW DO YOU GET THERE BY BIKE?

Well, there's nothing on the Sundance Square website to tell you how to get there other than by car, even though it is DIRT SIMPLE, so I'll pass along TWO secret routes there from Northeast Tarrant County. Perhaps the Sundance people are aware that cyclists are smarter than motorists, or maybe that's just what the yellow helmet guys tell them. Regardless, you read it here first!

Route 1 - For the lazy and those that like trains, take the TRE to the ITC. Ride NORTH until you see Bass Hall. You're there.

Route 2 - ALMOST as simple is just take Fort Worth Bike Route 340 across the Trinity River and into Fort Worth. You'll know you're there when you see parking lots, parking garages, and the Bike Route dead ends.
x

By either route, bike parking is free, though limited. The bike racks are cleverly disguised as "Fort Worth Stars." They have "bike rack" stenciled on them so you will know what they are. Hmm, maybe those Sundance people DON'T think cyclists are very smart, though they clearly believe we are able to read.

Seriously, would I go to Sundance so often if it were like, for example, downtown Dallas? It's where the West begins! I've actually seen horses on those urban streets. Ask Chipseal or Chandra if you don't believe me.

Sundance Square Bike Rack - Note Lettering "BIKE RACK"

I Don't Think the Other Lettering if Official

Bad Bike Idea

My Dentist Office on Harwood, in Hurst

I went for a bit of a bike ride. Just to be different, I decided to mostly ride on different streets than I usually take. Before you knew it, I was passing my dentist's office in Hurst. When I was there earlier this week, they inquired as to whether I was still riding. I replied that I was, but they had no bike racks, though I imagined they didn't have a lot of cycling patients. If I rode to my appointment, might they work something out? "Certainly," the receptionist replied, "we've got a room in the back and we'd be happy to keep your bike while you're here." Hmm.

Riding along a bit further, I saw the sort of sculpture that John Romeo Alpha seems to happen upon regularly in Arizona. Mine was in North Richland Hills. NRH may not be Arizona, but it's still pretty cool to see stuff like this just riding along the road. Speaking of which, is that his REAL name or is it a play on an Italian car brand I'm fond of, and which is one of the labels of this post? Hmm again.

The Road Bike and Friend, North Richland Hills

Next, I happened upon a motoring brother, and we had a nice chat while waiting for the left turn signal to change for us. It was a lovely morning, but it looked like it'd be hot later. He rode in from Saint Louis and had another 350 miles to go. Bicycles really ARE different than motorcycles! Hmm the third.

It's Amazing How Much Faster You Can Go With More than 1/4 HP!

Finally, I got to the BAD IDEA part of this bike ride. It is NOT a good idea to go to "Golden Corral" for breakfast on a bike. It makes for a LONG ride home. Yes, bikes ARE different. I recommend you avoid this place if you have to ride your bike home.

Don't Do It! You'll Regret It!

PS: Yes, the road bike IS locked to that pole, with my "just a minute" locking technique ,which captured both wheels. I selected a seat where it was in view. Of course, had someone decided to try to snag it, it would have taken a while to waddle outside and confront the scofflaws. OTOH, I don't imagine that too many bike thieves hang around "Golden Corral," looking for an easy score.