Atchisron, Topeka, and the Santa Fe

It was going to be a record 65 degrees on this Friday in January--almost 70 so they said!  I got out and road Big Sexy around because for one, I have regular pedals on it, and two, fenders will keep me clean and dry as the last of snow is quickly melting.

This is the impressive Watson Bank Building on Massachusetts Ave or "Mass" as we like to call it--and now the Douglas County Museum.  A great building from the 1880s and Mr. Watson paid for and has other distinctive buildings named after him up on the KU Campus.

That's the County Courthouse of infamy--where I feel down the flight of stairs that led to the lower-level tag renewal desk.  The Watson Building is right across the street.  I'm riding through the city park this time, to go downtown.  Usually I don't go this way but thought I would as it was so warm out.

Friday night is party time in Lawrence, so all the bars and pubs and taverns are getting stocked-up.  Free State Brewery is actually just around the corner, so I'm not sure why this truck is here... The brewery is more like a restaurant now so they probably make the beer in the old warehouse district.

Free State Beer is best to drink anywhere but at the Free State Brewery, Gentle Readers of This Blog.  Free State is always packed, and packed with the local heavy drinker blue collar types--its fuckin' loud, rowdy, and smells like a urinal--the food sucks.  The front door has a small sitting/waiting area, and that is where the Old Dragons perch themselves--male and female--to drool and holler in a cloud of filth tainted with the sweet smell o' hops and barley.  And when you enter (try to enter) to find a seat--you have to venture through, and sometimes wait in the Free State Mist--God is makes me want to puke just writing about it!

So anyway, like, just be happy at the pub you're at and have a Free State and enjoy!

I have Big Sexy locked to the rail at the Post Office as I run a quick errand.

That's the Eldridge Hotel, which was burned down in 1862 by Quantrill's Raiders.  The story goes that William Quantrill, a dapper chap, had himself a fine breakfast there while the Raiders, the Missouri Bushwhackers, sacked and burned Lawrence, and murdered over 100 men and boys.

I always wanted to check out the old steam engine.  It seems every city or town has one of these mementos in a park someplace.   Even Tulsa has one but I've never stopped to see it--so why not look this old man over?

This has got to be the very worst sign ever put up, mes amis.  Its like the historian or the curator or librarian gave what was to be put on the sign to the illiterate sign maker, and well, you can see the horrible result--pretty embarrassing if you ask me.

If Old 1073 logged almost 900,000 miles between 1908 and 1952, well that is worth taking note of--and I am glad they saved her and hope she enjoys her retirement!

I like getting out on Big Sexy--I know that the bike had logged more miles in that barn I found it in than miles on the road.  Phil back at Pima Street Bikes in Tucson restored Big Sexy and its still a fine riding and comfortable machine.

Always have to make time to see my friends at the local bike shop.  Here's the side door best to use when bringing your bike into the shop.

I would not keep this bike so close to the back door!  I'm sure this bike will cost you $5000 to $8000 dollars!   I bought the Raleigh Marathon for $20 and spent $100 to have it gone over with all new cables and what ever Phil did to make it like-new.  I guess somebody will buy this bike, but they couldn't ride it until Spring.

Eddie Merckx rides into history...

Next door to the bike shop is yet another cafe and bar.  The bar is upstairs--kind of a fun place actually.

Next door to that bar is another bar.  A lot of students or longtime residents here ride old bikes to the bars rather than drive.  There's no parking to be found anywhere, and the cops are hunting for drunk drivers--so best to just slip under the radar on yer bye-k.  The bike on the left is locked to the rail at the entrance of the tavern--the front wheel is smashed.  It will probably be cut off and thrown into a junk heap.  The bike on the right is a pristine LeMond from the 80's.  Its just sitting there not locked up or anything--it will get stolen unless the owner, probably in the guitar store there, has an eye on it, Gentler Reader.

Well, going back home via the old brick streets to my house.  There are still a few of the old places that have these hitching posts.  I'm pretty sure that's what these are--if I'm wrong let me know.

Cheers!  Bruce

Celebrity Spin Class, 2013

I'm back in Celebrity Spin Class, mes amis!  The class is three times a week for 10 weeks.  My hope is that it will help get my left leg in shape--I'm sure it will.

The cold this winter makes my leg very stiff.  It sucks really.  I can still see that my left thigh is much smaller than the right--its like there's no muscle--no big power muscle on the bone!  The spin will help thank goodness, but really going to have to get back into the gym and work.

The best thing that came out of spin class last year is that I met some great people--many of my old pals are back, and I've also made some new friends too!  Spin class is a workout for sure, and it keeps me motivated.

Bitter cold here means that I'm not going to try to ride my bike to class--even though its only about two or so miles and the barn is just off the bike path--I can't do 10 or 20 degrees yet!

Cheers!  Bruce

Pedal to the Medals

I bought the 200 KM medal for riding the brevet last March, 2012.  It was, all in all, a very good ride for me.  I had done the Celebrity Spin class and come out of that very strong.  My 300 was a disappointment--that came from a combination of bad weather, and a poor cue sheet on the part of the organizers--but that is a whole other matter.  

Often I wonder if poorly written cue sheets factor into brevets much?  I mean, the guys have ridden that same brevet over and over, so I think its possible for them to just assume riders know what they're talking about on the cue sheet.  

In my situation, some locals that had a shop right at the corner where streets were supposed to be, had no idea what the cue sheet was talking about.  Roads not marked and cue sheets listing turns on streets or highways that don't appear anywhere near the mileage listed was stressful.  Especially in rain and remote areas.  Oh well, I digress Gentle Readers of This Blog.

But I believe I will try the rides again this year and not give up!  

I also bought the new Orange Reflective Vest from the RUSA web site.  I really wanted a yellow one--all the riders out here in KS had 'em, but they were all out.  Jennifer Wise actually answered my email query about the vest you see pictured above.  She said that the yellow ones were just a PBP thing--but the Orange ones were from the same company in France--and that these were "new and improved" as they are water and wind resistant.

I am very happy with the one I bought, mes amis--however, I did buy the the XXXL to be sure it would cover all my clothing on a brevet, like a heavier warm jacket, etc...  The XXXL are very small--I'd say for sure that they run small.  This 3XL is really more like an XL, so buy the biggest one or else you may find them way to small for you.

Yellow ones I saw riders wearing on the 200 and 300 last year I could see for many miles ahead of me on the roads.  I'm sure that the orange will be fine too.  The reflective strips are awesome and the vest I believe is well made.  This vest also stows very small so it won't take up any weight or hardly any space with your gear.

Cheers!  Bruce

End of the Year 2012

November and December have been quite cold here in KS.  Most bike riding has been short errands downtown and to the store.

Working as a professional at KU has also eluded me.  Librarians, and all staff that work up on Mt. Oread are "Lifers" which means most have been at their posts 25 to 30 years.

My "Desert San" Campus Bike from my Tucson Days has morphed into an all-weather urban commuter.  Fenders and racks means I can ride year-round.  I rode to Haskell to work every day except for May, when I had my fall and injury.  I rode everyday to work up to KU for my part-time job as well.  Its been almost two years since I've lived here and this bike has logged many miles around Lawrence.

I made a trip to San Antonio to see my Brother and his family.  Bill and I went down to the Alamo, which I thought was sort of perplexing--I mean we were driving on busy freeways and then into congested downtown San Antonio and he kept saying, "There it is, there it is..." and I was like, "Where? Where?  I don't see anything!"  So there it is up there for you to see, mes amis.  Very pretty but the bad thing was that when we arrived to go in, about 200 middle-school-aged kids arrived as well--and they were kinda unruly.

I know there was a lot going on in Texas at the time of this famous fight--it appeared to be a very complex matter and I didn't really understand the site too clearly in the context the Daughters of the American Revolution have explained it--but it was worth seeing.

Just a few blocks walking distance is the San Antonio River Walk.  I spied their bike share program bikes here near the Alamo.

The River Walk.  It was a WPA project in the 1930s.  It was okay and it was a Friday around lunch time so there were not a lot of tourists--mainly office workers from down town San Antonio having a long lunch.  The sidewalks were narrow and I couldn't see biking here.  I can't imagine hordes of tourists either.  Also lots of over-priced shops for shit you don't need and galleries with bad art work.  This is a place to bring your big brother who's in town to take a break from working a year without a vacation--eat at a cool place--and walk a bit.   

My brother and I ate at a pub.  While we were waiting for our lunch and sipped a few beers, a group of young professionals came around and lit up cigars.  They were a bit on the arrogant side, rude to our waiter, and the smoke was foul.  One the fellows asked if the smoke was bothering us, and my brother, who is a great guy but not to be trifled with said, "Fuck yeah..." And so the cigars gradually went out after some awkward glares.   My dear Brother, being a good sport after all, bought their table a round of beers so there were no hard feelings.

My contract job as the Academic Librarian at Haskell Library ended late November.  It was a good run and I met a lot of great people and students.  It was good to see many of them get their degrees and move on--many transfer to KU, or on to graduate school back in their home state.

The library was not always the best place to work.  The Director, my boss, was mean to the staff and often berated them for things that really started with her own lack of leadership.   She spent the year doing all the paper work for retirement, and had little time or interest in what the staff were doing or what the students and faculty needed.   Most interactions with her related to her letting us know we were her subordinates, and always in a condescending manner.

There was also a culture of indifference and not being helpful (this was the long-time para-professional staff) and I worked very hard to change that during my year as the librarian.  I did make friends with many students and faculty.  A lot of students that I first met in the research classes I taught, I got to know better from them seeing me working out at the Jim Thorpe Fitness Center.   That went a long way as many of the athletes sough me out for help with papers and other studies.

Being friendly (professional) and helpful (doing your job) goes a long way, Gentle Reader of This Blog, and I know it will help me get another position there again if I need one.  I'm going through that process of looking for another job now--and its going well!

 
Haskell Staff had kept a fire going on the grounds for the students--many going back to the reservations and onward from graduation.

My Brother, Bill

 Looking forward to a new year!   Cheers!  Bruce

Farmer's Turnpike

With warm weather during the week, I'm getting out on the bike on my days off.  One of my favorite rides is out to Lecompton.  I used to go out on narrow Hwy 24--which I don't mind so much--but I was told to take the Farmer's Turnpike west, instead of taking 24.

 One my way out of town I pass the historic Black Methodist Church in Old East Lawrence.  This is the church (built 1901) that poet Langston Hughes attended as a small boy when he lived here with his grandmother in Lawrence.

 Historic Downtown Lawrence is getting razed to make way for wealthy out of state developers to put in high-end hotels and condos.  There would also be galleries and studios--the kind of stuff that most people cannot afford or don't want to buy anyway.   When Lawrence was attacked by pro-slavery Bushwackers, it was said that Black Union Soldiers killed in the raid where hastily buried here.  It may have been a ploy to slow down or stop the developers, but a dig by archaeologists found no evidence of any graves.

 This apartment complex is actually pretty nice--its across the street from the vacant lot I photographed for you.  Lawrence is a slum lord's dream; every long-time Lawrence resident or family owns a couple of rentals they lease out to KU students.  

 On the outskirts of town, I pass near the entrance of the Power Plant.  This is an old power line from the 1930s that they saved for posterity.  I think that's pretty cool to have a reminder of those days.

 This house is at the intersection of the Farmer's Turnpike and the edge of town.  Now I'll be heading West--into a headwind of course--on my way to Lecompton.

 The section of the Farmer's Turnpike runs next to I-70.  K-10 is the old Oregon Trail route.

Its windy, mes amis! 

 

There's some new manufacturing plant that has been built out here recently, and there were a lot of big 18 wheeler trucks on the Turnpike.

 I discovered that this old one room school is called the Winter School House, built in in 1869.

I'm riding West on the wide shoulder of the Turnpike, and on the left  you can see I-70.  This kind of reminds me of the Frontage Rd. I used to ride back in Tucson along I-10.   

 Here in Lecompton, where you see the replica of the cabin that was here, Jayhawkers from Lawrence rode up  (probably along the same route I rode) and attacked this pro-slavery outpost called Ft. Titus.  After a several hour shot-out, the pro-slavery men surrendered.  

 This is the historic Kansas Territorial Capitol which was illegally built by pro-slavery homesteaders in 1855.  Congress was still debating whether or not Kansas would be admitted to the Union as free or slave, but pro slavery folks didn't want to wait for the outcome.  

 The building was never quite completed and later the State Capitol moved to Topeka--along with everything else.  It was bought and finished and became Lane University.  President Dwight Eisenhower's parents met here at Lane and were married in the building.  The Mighty Trek is leaned up against an old hitching block.  I guess you could park you saddle horse or buggy here back in the day.

This is the way cool Constitutional Hall, built in the late 1850s.  The Kansas Constitution was written and fought over here--later it was a dorm for Lane University, the State Land Office, even a hotel. 

 This year the Historical Society bought the old jail, which wasn't far from the Hall and in a private resident's back yard.  The private owners donated the jail building, and it was taken apart, moved, and is now being re-assembled next to the Hall.

 After I ate a Hamburger at the Kroeger Gas Station and Meat Market, I headed back to Lawrence.  I had a powerful headwind to take me back.

 This is the Baldwin Barn built in 1979.  Its a ways off the Turnpike, but since I had a little time, I rode down to take a closer look.

The power plant North of Lawrence is coming into view. 

I'm riding back into the city limits and through an old neighborhood Northwest of downtown.  Lawrence was an affluent stronghold of Free State Abolitionists, mainly from New England.  With Lawrence being so close to Missouri, it was always eyed with resentment, which is why it was probably attacked back in 1861.

It was a fun ride with nice weather.  I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Cheers!  Bruce

Bicycle Recycle

When  ever I run a quick errand to the supermarket, which has just re-opened after a make-over, I recycle what glass we have at the liquor store.   I can carry a case of beer on the Old Desert San Campus bike, mes amis. 

 Even though its November, the weather has been warm!

Part of my route through the back streets to the store, which is only about 1/2 mile from The Little House.  Winter is on the way but its been so warm--and no rain.  A mild Winter is okay but it means the drought will continue.  

I've brought back a bag of groceries on the bike, and the empty boxes that hold the beer bottles for the week.   I really enjoy being able to do more than half my errands on the bike.  Ricky walks up to KU or rides his bike,  and I've ridden my bike to work all year.  The exception was May after my fall and injury.  I'm trying to get Little Egypt to bike to work a few days a week but I have not made her a convert quite yet!

Cheers!  Bruce

Windy Club Ride

The Club Ride took off at 11 o'clock--due to an exchange of several emails on the group list.  The normal time is 9 but this morning it was only 37 degrees here in lovely Lawrence, Kansas.  Still, when I showed up in the parking lot at Broken Arrow Park, there were riders just coming back from the 9 am fast group.  A couple of fellas wished they would have stayed in bed because they looked exhausted and were not thawed-out  when I arrived.  Temps were only about 40 degrees for the second group starting  out at 11, and it was getting windy.

I was warm for the most part--this was the first really cold day to ride.   The sun was out but the wind was choppy, blowing hard, and shifting this way and that.  I held on--only barely--to a wheel in our small group, but I was sure working hard, mes amis.  Finally on the last big climb up to the Big Farm, I got dropped.  Luckily at the turn to start up to Lone Star Lake, my comrades waited for me.

At Lone Star, the Sun was out and warming us up.  Everyone just standing there in a daze but letting that sunshine and warmth soothe cold and wind-blasted bodies.  When the wind suddenly started blowing hard from the North, our Ride Captain took notice.  "Let's get outta here, gang--wind's shiftin' on us..."  Usually we would have a tail wind going back, like I did on my last post--but not this time, Gentle Readers of This Blog.  This time riding back was a slog-fest.

I stayed with the pack and rode pretty well but soon I tired.  As we started a climb I just couldn't keep up.  I also noticed my heart rate going very high and almost to the max so I thought I better just back down a little.  The main group was about a quarter mile in front of me the whole way back, and there was no use trying to catch those four riders up ahead.  The headwind was too strong.

I found a good gear and a rhythm to keep me going just knowing that I'd be home soon enough.

Cheers!  Bruce