Month: February 2008

Biking in Astoria

Vote for John

Give me a second of your time. Help out my good friend and vote for him in the Boston Phoenix poll for best bartender in Boston. Just click here and then vote for John Gertsen at No. 9 park (which John did you think I was talking about?). It only takes three quick clicks and…
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Bike Commuting 101?

It’s easy to commute by bike. Step one: Get a bike. Step two: Ride your bike to work. But just in case you can’t follow those steps, people actually offer classes on such things. I guess it’s a good thing, if it gets more people biking. Even though I can’t help but think it’s for…
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Why I don’t ride

Cause I feel like shit. I love New York; I can take the subway. Even if it is slower than biking. Along with being able to read and see many more cute girls on the subway, I was wondering what to eat and thinking about the lack of food at home. Coming down the steps…
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Fuck the police?

Last night I was stopped by police. It was about 1AM and I was coming back from Manhattan heading to a bar on 21st St. I needed to buy some groceries and passed the Trade Fair on 36th Ave. I went up on the sidewalk to look inside, trying to decide whether it was worth…
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Vegetables! Get yer squash here!

I like this art across from the Plaza Hotel (N.E. corner of Central Park). It makes me think wistfully of Baltimore and this pictures:I miss Baltimore’s wonderful and fading tradition of ‘Arabbers‘ (pronounced A-rabbers). I like a city where you can still buy produce from hard working men and horse-drawn carts.

Bike, damnit, bike!

Why weren’t you biking yesterday? I was biking to work and couldn’t help but notice that it was pretty much just me and the delivery men on two wheels (tip them big, please, so they can buy hats and scarves). I was looking at all the cars and pedestrians thinking, they probably think I’m a…
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Something for nothing

Astoria Bike doesn’t pay the rent (or anything else, for that matter). But you buying my book does. Now you can read the first chapter for free. It’s just a ploy to get you to buy the damn thing. But in the meantime you are getting something for nothing. Here’s my plan: you read chapter…
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The death of Sheldon Brown

I was reading P. Lynn Miller’s blog and learned of the recent death of Sheldon Brown. He’s had a rough year or so. Sheldon did more for the biking world, especially the web biking world, than anybody. Like many, I learned a lot about bikes and fixing bikes from his website. In terms of specific…
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Why I bike! (or) It pays to vote!

It’s kind of raining and nasty out and ringing my new bell for no particular reason as I ride home from voting and the hardware store and a lunch of Mexican hangover-helping deep-fried flautas. I love you, Hidalgo (though checking the spelling on google, I discover that you’re no longer called Hidalgo. But I still…
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Bike Sydney

Sydney, city of beachesand beach cricketand the view from our friend’s apartment. We were warned that when it comes to bikes, Sydney is no Melbourne. “Bollocks,” exlaimed P. Lynn Miller of CTA fame (Chainlink Transit Authority). Or he said something like that in an accent that perhaps could only come from an Australian immigrant originally…
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