Uploads from Mark Stosberg, tagged autumn

Indiana soybean field in the fall

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:48:05 -0700

Some soybeans fields are turning brilliant shades of yellow this time of year.

As seen from the Cardinal Greenway rail-trail.

lunch ride to Greens Fork Diner

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:00:57 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

We rode out through the country side to Greens Fork for lunch. Electric assist on the Yuba Mundo made hauling the 2 year old comfortable on the 30 mile round trip (the child is hidden the rider in this photo). Indeed, the cargo bike was the fastest vehicle on the trip, despite it's extra heft.

couch by bike

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:30:10 -0800

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

Like a pick-up truck, extra hauling capacity is always there when I need it. A trailer would take forethought. Planning.

I rode the dutch bike to church today because it is built to live in the rain, without causing extra wear or requiring extra maintenance.

It turned out there was old couch that needed hauling way.

Last week I hauled away an exercise bike, which someone thankfully recycled right off my lawn.

The bike handled fine with the load, but the thin wood sidewalls aren't made for this kind of use. The Bikes At Work trailers are ideal for bulky loads, but then, there's that "planning" thing that comes with using a trailer.

recycling steel blinds

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:49:54 -0800

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

We found this set of steel blinds in the attic, wrapped in newspaper from 1968. Perhaps that means that means the blinds were installed in the 1940's?

Some of the blinds were 6 feet long, but were easily folded in half to fit in the bucket.

Balancing the 6 foot long top piece was my first experiment carrying something that long on this bike.

The experiment was successful. I still had room for my legs to pedal comfortably and hold onto the extended piece for extra balance.

The recycling center reported that I'd delivered 29 pounds of scrap steel to them, for which I got $1.39.

I spent it on some fruit snacks on the way home.

fall ride to the playground

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 06:30:13 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

colorful fields and dramatic clouds along the Cardinal Greenway

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:42:32 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

Our ride today started in Anderson, Indiana. We rode east towards the Cardinal Greenway and connected with it a few miles south of Muncie, and then rode south to Richmond, about 55 miles total.

There was plenty of color on trail and in the fields as we enter fall. Besides being great for local use, trails like the Cardinal Greenway are ideal for the kind of longer trips that we used it for today.

leaves falling off the tree

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:24:51 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

rocks near Greens Fork, Indiana

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:42:58 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

fall ride to Oxford

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:54:52 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

Concord-Fairhaven Road was a highlight of the trip. (Not to be confused with Fairfield-College College Rd, which is also part of the road.)

Buck Paxton Road also makes for a nice entrance into Hueston Woods.

Next time I might try including Four Mile Creek Road, Simpson Road, and Junction Road.

It's great to be able to make a 60 mile round trip on country roads with hardly any car traffic.

fall reflection

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:32:14 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

Kent and Kurt on the Whitewater Gorge Trail

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:09:04 -0800

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

leaves

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:30:10 -0800

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

cinder blocks by bike

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 07:21:03 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

Of all my chores this weekend, I was looking forward to one: moving a dozen cinder blocks from my attic to my church, where they will be used for shelving for a computer hardware recycling and re-use project.

A cinder block weighs about 37 lbs so the lot of them weight about 450 lbs total (~200 kg).

The hardest part was carrying them downstairs and outside one by one. Pushing around six of them on the bike was enjoyable by comparison!

One advantage of a cargo bikes is that they don't just have to stop at the curb: They can be loaded and unloaded right at a door without as much fear of damaging the lawn as a much heavier car might create.

After loading the blocks, I wrapped them in old towels, in case they slid into the softer wood of the bucket (which didn't happen). However, for the second trip I will consider deflating the front wheel some to create a smoother ride with less bounce.

See where this picture was taken. [?]

bakfiets fall

nobody@flickr.com (Mark Stosberg) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:14:39 -0700

Mark Stosberg posted a photo:

Living with a Dutch Cargo Bike

It would be odd to drive a car without a mirror, horn or lights and arrive at work with a grease stain on your leg. Yet I keep hearing stories of locals who "just wanted a bike", went to the bike shop, and came back with a vehicle that works like this.

It seems to me American bike culture has been stuck on recreation, neglecting bikes designed for transportation since the days when three-speed cruisers where hot sellers.

For the last couple months I've had the opportunity to try out a truly transportation focused alternative: a Dutch cargo bike. For the moment I'm going to ignore that it can carry 200 lbs of cargo or four children, and focus on the aspects of it that are more common to Dutch commuting bikes. These kinds of bikes are now available available online in the US, and in a few bike shops.

My Dutch bike is built on a "get on and go" philosophy. I worry less about maintenance or even what I'm wearing. The completely enclosed drive-train gives me the confidence to wear dress pants without fear of a grease stain. I haven't bothered to carry any maintenance tools with me on the Dutch bike, as there are significantly less possible adjustments to be made. So far there has been no maintenance to do besides small adjustments to the cable lengths, which can be done on the handlebars, while riding.

The whole bike is designed to be left in the rain, which I needed to do while I worked. Normally I would expect to need to perform clean and re-grease my chain after my bike has been in the rain for long, otherwise rust will set in.

The enclosed drive-train performed as expected after a day in the rain. There was no stiff, squeaky chain at the end of the day.

The Dutch bike riding position is not like road or mountain bikes I've ridden. It has me sitting straight up in a dignified, comfortable position without significant weight on my hands. Admittedly it's a less aerodynamic position, but for the slower speeds and shorter distances of in-town driving, it simply makes no significant difference.

This Dutch bike also features bright front and rear lights that are powered by an onboard generator, so the lights always shine brightly when I need them to. A built-in lock-and-key system, fenders, a bell and even a "skirt guard" all came pre-installed as well.

The whole experience feels much more like a car-replacement than the typical American recreation bike.

If you are interested in a practical transportation bike without the cargo bucket, traditional Dutch bikes are available through Clever Cycles.

As an American interpretation, the Breezer Uptown SUB looks interesting, but I haven't seen one yet.