Pushie

One of the first things we noticed when we got to Melbourne [actually, I feel like we noticed it in Sydney, too] was the number of bicyclists on the streets.  While we were poking around the Melbourne CBD in our first few weeks, the argument could be made that using a bicycle in/around a major city is quite common in the US.  However, the noticeable difference was the number of cyclists that continued even away from the CBD.  I have no kinds of actual data, but it feels like if you put up a radius of 30km around the CBD, you’d still find a pretty high frequency of people using a bicycle as their primary means of transportation.  Don’t get me wrong there are still lots of cars.  And to/from and around the CBD, there is mass transit. 

Realising just how common it was to use a bicycle around Melbourne was the primary reason we bought me one before we’d even found a place to leave.  We’d decided that Ruthie would try and find us a place close to my work and I would do my best to ride the bicycle to work every day [leaving Ruthie the car].  Ruthie did her part and found us a place that’s 4km away from my work.  So I’ve been holding up my end of the bargain and riding to work just about every day.  True, once the motorcycle arrived and the weather was still lovely, I would ride that into work occasionally.  But for my part, I would say that I’ve ridden into work 9/10 days since I’ve started. 

Due to the fact that I am only riding 4km one way every day, I would struggle to call myself a bicyclist.  I certainly didn’t look the part for a long time, as I had a hard time finding my preferred clothing.  I often wore my dress pants or jeans with a leg rolled up in the first couple months.  But then I took a page out of a co-worker’s book and began leaving my dress pants at my desk and changing in and out of athletic clothes every morning/afternoon.  As it’s currently winter, I’ve adopted the style of wearing a set of cold-weather leggings underneath some athletic shorts and whatever shirt I feel like underneath my jacket or parka depending on the weather.  I’d like to claim that’s as close to the fully-clad lyrca appearance that I’ll ever get.  Well … in the summer, it’ll be athletic shorts and probably a quick-dry shirt, but still nothing skin tight.  I prefer leaving plenty to the imagination. 

While I attempt to remain firm on my anti-lycra attire, I have to say I’ve embraced the bicycle lifestyle a bit more than I’d originally expected.  I’ve now gone to see an indoor track race at a velodrome [where I saw bicycle legends such as Sir Chris Hoy and Anna Meares].  I passed on the opportunity to watch my co-worker compete in a cyclo-cross event, though.  But, at the suggestion of the same co-worker, I did participate in the Melburn Roobaix, which is a 40-kilometer “fun event” styled after the Paris-Roubaix.  And, also at the encouragement of the same cyclist co-worker, I’ve been reading The Enlightened Cyclist by BikeSnobNYC.  [Really, without said co-worker, I’d probably be much less … involved? interested? engaged? in cycling.]

Sadly, the part of the bicycle lifestyle I have not been able to escape embracing is the frustration with pedestrians. 

On my massive 4 kilometre commute to work, I ride on the whole range of available surfaces to bicycles: a dedicated bicycle lane separate from the road, a shared bicycle / pedestrian lane, a dedicated bicycle lane that’s on the road, the street, and if I so choose, the sidewalk [that should be pedestrian only].  I start my commute along a stretch of beach that gets a fair bit of pedestrian traffic – and due to it being a port which docks cruise ships, it’s safe to say a chunk of it is likely foreign.  I finish my commute in an industrial section, where there’s no room for me other than on the street – fortunately, it’s pretty a low level of traffic, and it’s often slower moving trucks, and everyone seems to be used to bicycles in that area.

You can probably guess that my gripe primarily focuses on the section of my commute that deals with stretch along the beach.  I get so worked up about people being in the bicycle lane that aren’t bicycles [or at least have wheels – there’s a few inline skaters].  So worked up, in fact, that if I know a cruise ship is in town, I’ll take the route home that requires me to ride on the road the whole way.  When the Queen Mary II came in and docked at our little harbour, it actually drew in spectators.  Spectators who then loitered, meandered, or simply stood in the bicycle lane.  Mind you, this is a bicycle lane that’s separate from the pedestrian sidewalk.  Mind you, this is a bicycle lane that has bicycle symbols painted on it every 100 meters or so.  And side lines.  And a dash line down the middle.   HOW DO YOU NOT REALISE!? 

It all came to a head one day [and this is now the reason why I ride on the road when I know there’s a higher chance for people to be around, like when the cruise ship is in] not too long ago.  Two guys in suits were walking along the bicycle lane [on my side], with their backs to me.  I rang my bell once, and while I’ve had to ring my bell multiple times before, this time I didn’t need to because they looked over their shoulders and looked at me.  AND KEPT WALKING.  They didn’t move over, they didn’t yield, nothing.  So, intending to harass them a little, I cut them off.  Except I cut them off a bit too close and shoulder checked the guy closest to me, causing him to drop his umbrella [I stayed upright on my two wheels, thanks for asking.] 

Since then, I’ve tried to do my best to remain calm, and simply go around people.  I still get irritated about joggers who are in the dedicated bicycle lane [there’s plenty of room for them on the pedestrian walk], but I just go around.  For the record, though, I also get annoyed by bicyclists, even the casual ones, who are in the pedestrian walk.  I would much rather pass a slow moving bicyclist than I would a fast runner – in the bicycle lanes. 

To that end, Ruthie’s pointed out that our section tends to be a tough mix.  There are bicycle rentals right out front of our apartment.  And there’s a dedicated off-street bicycle lane that runs the entire length of the beach.  There is also this whole slew of serious/regular bicyclists that also like to ride along the beach.  But the bicycle lane is a bit narrow, and it’s not so easy to ride along side your friend at a leisurely pace without taking up the whole lane [or even both sides].  It’s supposed to be safer to take the bicycle lane than it is the road, but I think it’s just a danger of a different form.  The slow moving bicycle goes unstable, and swerves into your path as you’re passing versus the car that cuts you off on the road; the kid that isn’t watching and runs out into the bicycle lane [and the parents who weren’t paying attention because it’s not a “real road”] versus the dude who throws his car door open into the on-street bicycle lane. 

So this has turned out to be quite a bit longer of a post than I’d expected, but suffice to say that bicycling in Melbourne is an interesting experience.  My goal is to continue cycling [as a form of commuting – not as a hobby] when I get home, despite Bel Air and Edgewood being less acclimated to bicyclists.  Hopefully by then, I’ll have accumulated enough brightly coloured garments and flashy lights that I’ll be easily visible and hard to miss.  Which will a good thing especially for that overly aggressive road rage driver who decides to target me when I ride down 40 one spring afternoon.

-EP

A year in review, part 2

So this blog is called Two Fools and a Bike on the notion that we’d be spending a fair bit of time on the motorcycle down under.  However, it’s pretty safe to say that I’ve spent more time on another two-wheeled vehicle instead.  When we got to this city, it was pretty quickly obvious that bicycles were a bit more accepted.  [Though, as time has gone by and I’ve learned a bit more, I’ve learned that there’s still the cultural triangular war of bicycles vs cars vs pedestrians that’s present in any location that “welcomes” bicycle traffic.]  We actually purchased me a bicycle before we purchased a car.  Ruthie specifically found us a place at a pretty close proximity to work so that I would have an easy ride to work: a whole four kilometres. 

While it’s very easy to say I’m a fair-weather rider when it comes to the motorcycle, I’d like to say that I’ve done my part to prove [to myself mostly] that I’m less of a fair-weather rider on the bicycle.  This has happened for a couple reasons.  One, Melbourne weather is crazy [see above] and while it might call for rain during the day, you just are never quite sure when it will hit.  Two, it’s only 4km.  Three, contrary to riding the motorcycle, riding the bicycle in cold or poor weather still requires exertion on the part of the rider – meaning my legs are pumping and my body does a better job of staying warm.  So if you combine all of those with the likes of my orange parka, and I reckon I can handle just about whatever cold rain Melbourne has to offer.  [I have yet to get caught in hail, though, so I bite my tongue on making that a more general “bring it on” statement.]  In looking back on the year, I’d like to take a moment to be proud of the fact that my ability to ride in poor weather has gotten better over time.  The first time it was bucketing while I had the bicycle, Ruthie came to get me from work.  The next time it was bucketing, I started my ride while it wasn’t, but then lost my ID along the route; an hour later, it had been found, I had taken a hot shower, toweled off, and Ruthie drove me to work.  Then the orange parka arrived and I learned of the driers at work – it’s been pretty easy since then, rain or no. 

As far as work itself goes, while I won’t discuss what I’m actually doing, it’s worth pointing out a few things.  First, there have been quite a few times where Ruthie’s been way more qualified to do my tasks than me.  To that end, there was a time when we tried to get Ruthie a job as a contractor here, but that never panned out.  Second, the nature of my work is pretty good.  I’ve had moments on both ends of the spectrum, where I’ve spent time wondering why I’m even necessary on to actually trying to get my head around the month’s challenge.  Through all of it, I’ve got a pretty love/hate relationship with my colleagues.  One, they’re awesome.  I generally have a good time at work because of them.  The level of camaraderie and good-natured jesting is really high, which means I find myself laughing with or at them at least once a day.  Two, I hate them because they all make me feel dumb.  Without going on too much of a tangent, the R&D nature of the work combined with the education system in this country, almost everyone has a PhD.  Generally it’s like being Walowitz on Big Bang Theory: I’m *only* an engineer *without* a PhD.  Third, while looking back, I can say work here was good and I learned a few things, but I have a hard time looking forward and guessing what I’ll be doing when I return.  Lastly, speaking of returning, I’m pretty sure the work culture here has ruined my ability for the 9-hour grind that I once knew.  In addition to most people here only working 8 hours in a day [fortunately due to their in-house system called Flex, I still try to observe a SDO schedule] with a 30-minute lunch break, they stop for tea at 10a and 3p.  I’m really going to miss those breaks when I get back to working for Uncle Sam. 

-EP

Roobaix

Today I am riding the Melburn Roobaix, approximately 40km through the back streets and alleys of Melbourne.

Fortunately, the weather this morning, while cold, is mostly clear.  And the forecast has improved to no longer hail. 

I had almost talked Ruthie into doing it too, but then when it didn't promise to be sunny and 70°F, her dislike for riding a bicycle won out.  Instead she made capes for me and the guy who talked me into doing this.  [Yes, I know that sentence is grammatically incorrect, but I'm okay with it in this case.]

So I've got the GoPro set with an empty memory card with my fingers crossed that the battery will last long enough to run time lapse for the duration.

-EP

I'm a slacker

Man, I am so far behind.  I feel like so many things have or might have happened, and I’ve got such a back log – mental constipation, if you will.  It certainly wasn’t my intention to leave TFAB this neglected for this long, but … well, honestly I don’t have any good excuses.  But here are some anyways:

A. My dog ate my homework.

B. I forgot how to read.

C. I’m lost in translation.

D. I was a dummy and thought if I waited long enough, Ruthie might actually dust this thing off.

E. I’ve been too busy.

F. I’ve been too busy at work which is when I have written several previous posts, and haven’t made the time to write anything while at home. 

For what it’s worth, I’m months behind in uploading my photos to FB, too.  Unfortunately, those don’t require as many words or digging through my memories to see what I thought about as it happened “Hey, I should write about that.” 

So, in attempt to force myself to get some things down on paper, I’m making myself a list.  [Apparently I’m on a list kick.  I’ve made myself a few at work, and I even gave Ruthie a honey-do list on Monday – much to her dismay, I’m sure.]

1. Update this blog again soon.

2. Update this blog again soon about one of the following things:

α. The mental list I’ve been attempting to build of Australian lingo and vocabulary.

β. Recap adventures with SueSue.  The trip to the Whitsundays might need it’s own post.

γ. Ramble on about the weather again [it truly is a country in which you can talk about the weather].

δ. It’s official: I’m an international goal scorer.  Although it seems that the days I score a goal we lose by quite a bit. 

ε. Despite my best efforts I’ve been informed I’m a bicyclist. 

ζ. More derby. 

3. Don’t let this blog wither and die [like our poor dried up aloe plant].

-EP

On two wheels

Once again, since this blog has “bike” in the title of it, it’s time for me to wax non-poetically about transportation and how many wheels I use.

Most days, I use two.  Two wheels and no motor.  I’ve been riding my bicycle to/from work just about every day.  Which means that if we don’t go anywhere on the weekend [which I think has only happened twice since we’ve been here], I can go weeks without driving a car.  And it’s actually been kinda nice. 

Now, I’m not a fast rider by any means.  They tried to poke fun at me for my coworker passing me on the way in to work one morning, and I just openly admitted that I’m not a speedy rider.  For example, one of the super-fit riders said it would probably take him 7 minutes to get from work to our apartment.  It takes me about 17 [more often 20, as I’m not usually in a rush]. 

And while that’s been great and all, I’ve been itching to ride my other two-wheeled vehicle – the one with the loud, rumbly motor in it.  Unfortunately, we’ve hit yet a third speed bump in that road, and my poor machine continues to collect dust in the parking garage.  The mirrors finally arrived early last week.  I took the day off work on my birthday and put them on, refilled the oil, and got a bit of fuel.  Battery wasn’t strong enough to crank all the petrol through the bone-dry system, so it had to go on the charger.  But I haven’t gotten any further than that because meanwhile, Ruthie’s been back and forth to VicRoads [their motor vehicle department] on my behalf, only to find that instead of an easy bit of paperwork and a couple hundred dollars for a permit, now I may not be able to ride the motorcycle at all.  It has something to do with how the motorcycle was brought into the country and us lacking a carnet de passage.  It’s all a mess, really, and I’ve send messages to the people who might be able to help – but I’ve gotten no where fast.  This, aside from frustrating, is fine because VicRoads said their policy department was going to have to make a judgement on if we’d have to pay some sort of tax on the motorcycle and they would get back to us by letter in two to three weeks. 

Poor motorcycle.  Just sitting there, looking pretty – all dressed up [in dust] and no where to go.

UPDATE: 

I actually wrote this on the 25^th – the day after I penned the previous entry.  [I just totally failed to update the blog with this.  Whoops.]  In the mean time, we’ve received the letter from VicRoads stating that I’m allowed to apply for the permit, but no instructions or anything beyond that.  Ruthie’s made an appointment with them, so maybe she’ll make some progress the next time she goes in there.  Fingers crossed.

-EP