mr_bill

Define “few.” Understand that before the Minuteman officially opened, I was there with our newborn. (Think stroller slalom, grrr.)

They were on the back of the bike asap though, followed by back of the trailer bike.
Still remember when I got the push from behind. They pushed their own weight, woah!

And, pretty much just the two of us were it back then.

It’s not just you, LOTS of people with LOTS of kids going to and fro. I can't help but smile.

Some of the rigs are amazing. One couple is on a tandem towing a recumbent tandem trailer bike - the never ending bicycle, never managed to get a good shot.

But here's a Bike-Trailer Bike-Trailer:


The long tails look fun though:


It's like we are becoming Amsterdam or something:



-mr. bill

jimmuller 

The driver's regs are available in a pdf file on the Registry's website. I don't recall that particular detail but I wasn't looking for that when I last read through them maybe two years ago. They did explicitly state that it is legal to ride on sidewalks with two exceptions, in business districts and where town ordinances forbid it. Arlington used to have a sign when entering A. Center eastbound that said it was illegal in A. The MM mods with the curve just before A.C. mean all those folks aren't violating the law any more.

It does appear that more folks are carrying their kids on bikes. The MM/Lake St intersection sees a lot of school-related pedestrian and bike traffic.

In fact, from that intersection into Alewife has become a real problem stretch. Many walkers coming out the T, too many cyclists practicing for the Giro, running up the wrong side of the path to pass everyone. Lake St itself seems to be carrying more cars, every driver getting PO'ed by all the waiting which is mostly created by the various stoplights. I've been running into Alewife to pick up the FCRT over toward Belmont. But turning left on Brighton St is becoming as much of a Gordian Knot as Belmont Center. I'm starting to think about reverting to one of my earlier, tougher routes.

rumrunn6

so you cross this intersection w car traffic?

eabeaj

One of these days I'm going to end up in one of these photos. I live a few blocks from there. (In fact, I feel like I may have seen one of you yesterday morning between Mystic and Mill somewhere...)

The new pathway through Mass/Pleasant works as far as it goes but a lot of people using all modes of transportation still don't know how to use it properly. And I always feel kind of bad sitting there on Swan Place trying to trigger the light to change ... eventually ... with a driver behind me who just wants to turn right on Mass Ave. Sometimes they go around me, which is fine by me. Oh well, the world has bigger fish to fry, I suppose.

mr_bill

Now it depends where I'm coming from.

But that's also a couple of years ago, pre-Arlington Center Safe Travel project. Way back I used to take the left off Water Street, but then they made that illegal.

-mr. bill

autonomy

Yeah, this is exactly what I mean. I've seen that exact lady on the path. I've seen another one with a regular bike but a toddler on the back and infant on the front. There's also a (French?) guy with a Bakfiets


And yesterday I saw a lady with what I think was a Taga bike, I didn't even know something like this existed (though she had 2 kids in the bucket, and one on the back, so it may have been something else)




And I'm not even mentioning the plethora of people on Xtracycles and Yubas. Lots of them in Cambridge; there's even a regular lady with a dog in a trailer. I guess it seems like there are so many more people opting to bike. 3 winters ago I cycle-commuted pretty much every day in the fall through spring except for the really nasty rain or snow (or below 10F) and I don't remember seeing this many cyclists. It's a good thing though. And the cities and towns in Metro Boston are supporting this with more bike infrastructure.

Oh boy, don't get me started. Someone already mentioned it here, but the really nice days bring out a lot of stupidity.

I say, let's get that Mass Central Rail Trail built up!

rholland1951

Took the Ebisu for an urban ramble, North and East, through Arlington, Medford, Malden, and Melrose, keeping to streets rather than the Northern Strand, just to see what was there.


rod

mr_bill

In Davis Square - Honk!

This is Second Line Social Aid And Pleasure Society Brass Band, all the way from Somerville. Note the trombones during the solo.


-mr. bill

rholland1951

Rolled out on the Rawland Nordavinden for a ride before dinner, sunset colors on the way out, the Night Chorus and lanternfish on the return, every now and then an unlit cyclist would whiz past in the darkness. Lovely ride.












rod

rumrunn6

fantastic day for a ride. Stow to Arlington then back 40 miles

calling this my city tourer

rholland1951

Ran the Rawland up the Minuteman this warm and muggy evening, played a brisk game of drop-the-pursuer outbound, then chased my headlights home.




rod

rholland1951

Took the Rawland on a midday ride between the raindrops.




Work in progress: a new, Westbound ramp at Maple Street, Lexington.


Hail, Catalpa!






rod

rumrunn6

does that connect to a trail in North Cambridge which crosses Mass Ave before Porter Sq? maybe it connects at Alewife?

rholland1951

This?

rod

rumrunn6

BINGO! Alewife Linear Path! Cool! THANKS! we were at that Cedar Street intersection w Mass Ave. when we saw that bike path crossing in front of us. that's really interesting & I see it connects to the Somerville Community Path. one time, I rode the MM w Wifey to Alewife but were disappointed cuz we wound up at the Fresh Pond Circle & it was too urban & congested w car traffic, so we turned around. maybe taking this extension would be more enjoyable

rholland1951

I think you might like it better, for sure. Gets you to Davis Square (fun in its own right). Best to walk the bike across that to pick up the next segment.

rod

rumrunn6

this opens up a whole new realm of areas I could bike commute to from approx Stow. it's just a short ride (on the streets) to Concord Ctr where I can first grab the Reformatory Branch, then it's off to market I go (w/o pesky cars!)

mr_bill

BTW, Davis Square is so bad that it's good for people on bicycles, there are so many pedestrians and cars that everything is at such a slow speed, and you are only in the deep end for 1/4 mile, down Elm left on Grove and the path continues there.

The walk your bike route is through Statue Park and down the Davis Station (BUS edition) sidewalk - the community path starts at the far end of the platform.

Other spurs off of Minuteman near Alewife:

• the Fitchburg Cuttoff Bikepath (with a delightful boardwalk through wetlands too, though unless you are all alone you should walk your bike on that boardwalk) that takes you to Brighton Street in Belmont
• Alewife Greenway Bike Path, stone dust to Mystic River
• And the spurs off Alewife Linear Path (least imaginative name ever) to Rindge or Dudley St, which you can then turn onto Sherman, cross the tracks to Denehy Park, which will take you to the backside of Fresh Pond Mall - a more pleasant way to Whole Foods.

-mr. bill

rholland1951

Worth adding that you can follow Sherman to Garden, and take that over Observatory Hill and down to Harvard Square and pick up the paths along the Charles River...

rod

mr_bill

...and to bypass Porter Square from Cedar off Community Path to Summer Street or Somerville Ave bikelanes, and Beacon Street separated bike lane (currently closed during construction) and the SHARROWS on steroids down Oxford Street (a quiet TRUCK FREE slow road with raised intersections, bear right at Bicycle Belle) to Harvard Yard.

-mr. bill

rholland1951

An embarrassment of riches, route-wise...

rod

rumrunn6

wow

Ghazmh

This past weekend I didn't ride all that much. Saturday I took the 520 out through Lincoln then on over to Depot Park to get on the MM for a few minutes to Lexington center where I got off and rode on over to Wilsons Farm to fill the panniers. 27 mile casual outing. More shopping Sunday between the 520 and trailer laiden Montare. By the time I was ready to get on a road bike for a Sunday spin it poured and I just wasn't feeling in the mood. Instead I got in my AM 30 mile route Monday morning and although it wasn't poring it was raining steady. It was the good rain, warm enough to be comfortable riding in without rain gear and all the dragging down it entails. Today I was at it again; riding down Monument st onto River st getting ready to turn right onto 225 in Carlisle. My back tube popped in a dramatic fashion. Pop then the dreaded slow release of the most precious 110 psi of compressed air. Pitch black with nothing but my trusty L&M Seca 2500 headlight perched atop my helmet on the parking lot of that small brown building at the intersection I replaced the tube, flipped the bike over and began repackaged my seat pack when again pop followed by hissing air. After a $60 minivan cab ride home from Carlisle to Waltham I found the culprit. A 1/2" gash in the shoulder of my 3 month old GP4000 all weather tire. Sucked!

rholland1951

Set out at sunset on the Ebisu for a quick ride up to Lexington Center and back, the air cool and clear, just about the perfect temperature and humidity for a brisk ride. It got pretty dark, pretty quick, and most everyone was illuminated, like spirits in the night, as the ancient poet sang...














Almost, but not quite, everyone was illuminated; there's an exception hiding in this photo.




rod

rumrunn6

added approx 4 miles to a regular ride. this time from Bedford to Davis Square. but the section from Arlington to that end was too congested. & after the intersection with Mass Ave & Cedar St. it was a walking path. not advisable around & after rush-hour. came back using streets (bike route). earned some street cred, or maybe I burned some. thanks to two separate Cambridge Cops, I stayed on course & survived a road crossing near an EMT truck. forgot my sportcam so just a cpl bad cell phone pics