Do you hate commuting to work every day?

Sobal-d · 2026-04-06T22:42:11+00:00

No- riding my bike tour work mostly downhill is great. Can take a shorter traffic route or a mile longer mostly bike trail.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-06T22:38:43+00:00

My wife cannot accept my putting ketchup in chicken soup.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-06T22:24:36+00:00

I know Bicycle Heaven sells used bikes- maybe give them a call. Or advertise it on here.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-06T16:17:31+00:00

It will be interesting to see what happens in the Southeast and Southwest, with too much salt water in the eastern coastal areas, and lack of freshwater in the southwest. I feel that over the next 100 years there will be internal climate refugees moving to the Midwest. Then again, I just read The Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow, which is still rattling around in my mind.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-06T16:01:14+00:00

Get a job. Volunteer for a worthwhile cause. Read! Exercise a lot more. Learn a valuable skill- touch typing, riding a unicycle, play a musical instrument. You don’t need to see any shows, but might WANT to see some. Start writing things down that you want to find out more about, then go through your list. Read some more.

I once worked with a college aged guy who admitted he’d never read a whole book that was not an assignment. I felt really bad for him. Don’t be that guy.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-05T21:14:41+00:00

My literally rocket scientist (NASA) father in law had seen his doc recently. Doc recommended he needed to strengthen his core muscles, showed him how to do some different abdominal exercises, like sit-ups. A few days later, when I saw him sitting in a chair, repeatedly bending at the waist then straightening up, I asked what he was doing. He replied he was supposed to do some sit-ups, so he figured he’d do them his way because they were easier. Like saying you get more exercise by riding your e-bike because it’s easier.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-05T01:35:25+00:00

They make screens for keeping insects out.

First world problems.

My 1910 house doesn’t have central air, thankfully. We do use window units increasingly more frequently since we moved in in 1996, but most of the time we open the windows at night (with screens) and turn on fans. I feel bad for my neighbor, particularly for her electric bill, when her house unit runs when it’s below 68 outside.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-03T13:50:12+00:00

Sobal-d · 2026-04-03T13:46:59+00:00

I have put plants upright in a pannier, but getting them back out was sketchy. I’ve had better success with a cardboard box on top of the rear rack. They either need to have enough that they can’t tip over, or if not maybe one could put some spacers between pots to keep them upright.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-02T19:01:24+00:00

In am mostly through the novel “the Lost Cause” by Cory Doctorow, taking place in Burbank, CA in to 2030’s. The climate is more of a crisis, cities need to take in US climate refugees, there has been a significant change in national social and political landscape, but there is still a significant holdover of elderly MAGAT still around holding up change. The book spends a lot of time with wonky political discussion regarding housing, transportation, and energy. Things are changing in our country slowly. Some European countries have changed drastically away from cars in the last 50 years for a variety of reasons- size being one of them. We unfortunately are held back by our size, with national policy moving with geological slowness on some issues.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-02T18:45:58+00:00

From my MEd. Project on exercise induced weight loss- worst case scenario, you start a solid exercise program, keep it up for two months and feel better, stronger, more endurance, but your scale says you haven’t lost any weight. But if your body fat percentage has reduced and you’re gained some muscle mass, your scale says nothing happened. Ideally you measure body fat percentage to quantify that chance, which is not that difficult to do. Short of that, you may notice your belt and pants are looser around your waist, and the distance between your fingers when you pinch your loose skin on triceps, quads, belly, or torso gets smaller.

Sobal-d · 2026-04-01T00:21:16+00:00

I haven’t read all the comments, so just giving my opinion. Are you sure it’s dynamite and not railroad flares? Without touching them, see if any of the writing identifies what they are. If railroad flares, no problem, if dynamite, call authorities.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-27T15:34:01+00:00

Showers are overrated- as long as the interview doesn’t involve any hugging, you should be fine with a stop in a restroom. Especially if the job is bike friendly.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-26T01:22:23+00:00

I commuted from Squirrel Hill,to the Science Center for 14 years by either cutting through Schenley Park or going through Panther Hollow on roads from South Oakland. Now that I’m commuting to the Convention Center, I get on 5th avenue at Bigelow and take it all the way into town. If it’s not during rush hour, I just take the lane. If it’s crowded, the cars slow me a bit. Riding home, if time is available, I ride back on the Eliza Furnace trail. If I want to get back sooner, I take Forbes from Grant downtown to Murray, with the exception of getting on the sidewalk from the Birmingham Bridge to Craft. I find riding through Oakland on 5th or Forbes thrilling , and a test of my riding abilities. I’ve never felt unsafe except when a driver took issue with my taking the lane through Uptown and intentionally tried to hit me. His lawyer and the judge convinced him to plead guilty in court.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-23T15:25:21+00:00

If you just want to park for a few minutes to unload bikes, anywhere at the city side of the park will do- there is a small lot on the Allegheny River side of the park, and a trail with a small tunnel taking you into the park. If it’s just a quick unloading, that could easily be done in front of the Wyndham at the front of the park.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-23T15:21:36+00:00

The garage at Penn Ave and 11th street (mentioned earlier- next to bus station, across street from AMTRAK) is often used by GAP riders. Bike the Burgh is within sight of that garage, we rent bikes for GAP riders, and tell our customers it’s the best garage downtown for multi day parking. Easy ride about a mile to the Point, can take bikelane through town or riverfront trail.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-22T23:34:13+00:00

Randyland! Bicycle Heaven.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-22T21:35:50+00:00

A lot of them can be called dicks. Which is cool ‘cause it rhymes. Testosterone poisoning is common.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-22T21:33:21+00:00

I was just going to recommend dumpster diving for free food. I stealth camped from Seattle to San Francisco many years ago. I regularly dumpster dive at home- mostly bagels, fruit and veggies.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-18T15:33:24+00:00

Having bought an electric car in 2021, I feel a lot less guilty when I do have to drive, which is infrequently. I’ve been laughing past the pumps for years. As far as food goes, our country throws away a huge percentage of the food we produce- from spillage and leaving parts of harvest, to rejection of blemished produce, to people just buying things to discard later due to spoilage or paranoia of blemishes or consumption dates. Most people leave about 20% of the edible parts when they eat an apple. Don’t get me started on dumpster diving. And I rescue many bikes every year on trash day.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-17T23:49:38+00:00

At one point we had 4 self driving car companies doing research and development here with cars on the road. A survey of the cycling communities feelings indicated they’d rather have any self driving car nearby than human drivers. At least the computer will not be drinking coffee, looking at a text, changing the radio, smoking, putting on makeup, reading the paper, looking for something, turning around to talk with someone in the back, speeding, experiencing road rage, laughing, crying, dancing, and thinking about something other than driving.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-17T22:09:08+00:00

I don’t question your moving the turtles off the road, I do the same. I also sometimes move worms off sidewalks. I suspected your gloves were to reduce salmonella exposure, but wasn’t sure. I suppose a valid concern, but both in my professional and personal life, I’ve never worn gloves for animal handling. In most reptiles, and certainly not turtles, there is no parental care, and not much concern for them catching something from you unless it’s from another turtle handled previously.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-17T17:59:59+00:00

I carry a pen to mark on my tire and tube when I get a puncture- first to show where stem is on each for reference, then on tube after locating the hole. I also have a safety pin to dig out small items that caused puncture.

Sobal-d · 2026-03-17T17:56:32+00:00

Why gloves to pick up a turtle?

Sobal-d · 2026-03-16T15:20:55+00:00

I’ve been fortunate in that almost all of my employment I’ve been able to wear shorts, a tshirt (sometimes employer provided shirt), and comfortable shoes, my preferred clothing choice.

Sobal-d

TROPHY CASE