A Nice Story of Cycling and Dogs

Usually when I see a dog while riding my bike, I prepare for battle. Too many dogs really love the thrill of the chase.

by JW Ogden

Tonight, though, I had a different kind of dog experience during an evening ride. The sun was going down but it was still light out. I was riding in the neighborhood across from Hulen Mall, just getting a short ride in since I haven't ridden to work all week. Just ten or twelve miles on the single speed, nothing too strenuous. A Land Rover pulled up beside me and paced me. He rolled his window down and asked whether I had seen a small, black dog. "Nope, sorry." He rolled up his window and trundled slowly on, turning right at the next intersection.

About a minute later.... there she was, a little black schnauzer who appeared to be disoriented. I tried to call her over but to no avail. I wasn't sure how to find Land Rover guy anyway. So I decided to start cris-crossing the neighborhood, looking for the Land Rover. No dice. I did, however, spot a Mazda driving very slowly with the windows down. I asked if she was looking for the little black dog and she replied, "Yes!" I told her where I'd seen the dog and she drove off. I decided to follow her; I'm not sure why.

She spotted the dog and pulled over and called for the dog. The poor thing knew she'd done something she wasn't supposed to do, and seemed hesitant to go to its owner. I got off my bike, crouched down and called the dog. She very hesitantly but steadily came toward me and and let me pick her up. I handed her over to her master and then she started wagging her tail.

See? Dogs and cyclists can get along after all!

Learning How To Commute

Trinity Bicycles organized a group ride this past Saturday. They didn't go to an event or a restaurant (well, not exactly anyway). They went to the grocery store, namely Central Market on Fort Worth's west side. The point of the ride was to show people how to get to a destination that is in what most people would consider a high traffic area. Central Market is at I-30 and Hulen Street, one of the busiest streets in Fort Worth. In planning the trip, they used one of my common strategies: Rather than riding along the busy streets, they rode through neighborhood streets with far less traffic. Here are some pictures of the ride, which had a pretty good turnout.


Main Street on the south side is not too busy on a Saturday


A little passenger


See the flag? Trinity Bicycles is across the street from ABC Flag Manufacturing Company so you can find it by going to the big flag


Waiting to cross University Drive at a traffic light


Getting ready to go as the light changes

Unfortunately, we were delayed by a bicycle with a broken spoke.


Advantage of traveling with bike mechanics: Instant repairs on the road


Waiting for the repair to be complete

I had somewhere else to be, so I had to break off from the group and ride home. I believe the total route looked something like this. Note that it winds around a bit, but it misses the heaviest traffic areas.


View Larger Map

Kudos to Trinity Bicycles for organizing the ride, and teaching people how to use their bikes as practical transportation. Myles posted more pictures of the ride over at Rat Trap Press.

Trinity Bicycles, Permanent (Soft) Opening

I stopped by Trinity Bicycles at 207 South Main Street this afternoon. The new shop just south of downtown (and the T&P commuter parking lot, which is no coincidence) has had a couple of sneak peeks and soft openings already. But this week they got their CO and they are officially open for business, even though the shop is not fully outfitted. From the street you can see a couple of signs in the windows promising a bike shop





The service counter was just built last night



I met Brian and Bernie



They recognized me a Doohickie based on my Schwinn Cutter ;-)

The have some stock of Kona and Surly bikes



Here's a view from the service area looking toward the front of the shop



As you can see, it ain't much... yet. They pretty much intend to keep the minimalist design I think, without a rush to fill the store. If they need something they'll get it, but I think first and foremost they want to establish the bike shop. Bernie and Brian are very personable folks. According to the Trinity Bicycles website, their hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Stop on by and welcome them to the neighborhood! I wish them well.

Fort Worth Bike to Work Day May 21

The City of Fort Worth has announced it will be participating in Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 21.

Bike to Work participants are invited to gather at the Intermodal Transportation Center at Ninth and Jones streets following their bike ride to work for a special bus, train and bike-rack presentation. Learn how the bus or train can help make bicycling a viable alternative, even for commuters who travel long distances. Free snacks will be provided from 7-9 a.m. for all bicycle riders.

Read more about it here. This event is part of Bike to Work Week (May 17-21) sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. To learn more about Fort Worth's bicycle plan, click here.

People For Bikes

Dickdavid over at Suburban Assault posted about a cool little site called People For Bikes. They’re dedicated to channeling that passion to improve the future of bicycling. They’re also trying to gather a million names of support, to speak with one, powerful voice—to make bicycling safer, more convenient and appealing for everyone.

Sounds like a good cause, and there has got to be a million cyclists out there. Be counted – head on over there and sign their pledge.

Dixie House Cafe

There's been some recent controversy about the closing of Dixie House Cafe in downtown Fort Worth. The location just south of Hulen Mall at 5401 South Hulen Street is still going strong though.



As is the issue with many breakfast cafes and strip malls, there is no dedicated bicycle parking. I had to lock up to the pole that holds up the awning.



Inside the decor looks like a steakhouse. That's because this location used to house Harrigan's Steakhouse.



The thing that Dixie House excels at is floor service. Yeah, there's a waitress that takes your order, but here, all the wait staff wait on all the customers. One benefit of this is that the coffee cup is never empty.

I ordered one of the breakfast specials. It came with everything that makes a breakfast hearty. I ordered the eggs over medium and by gosh, they nailed it- firm white, loose yoke, just the way I cook for myself at home. You'd be amazed at how many restaurants can't get this right, but Dixie House got it perfect.



The price was right, too. For good service and good food at a good price, check out Dixie House.

April Fools!

Clever. Very clever.

Spring Renewal

It's been tough at times getting into bicycle commuting lately. Between my longer commuter and quickly changing weather, it's getting too easy to just take the car. So what can I do to renew my enthusiasm? Buy some bling for the bike of course! I bought a vintage Wrights W3.N saddle off ebay to replace the basic vinyl-covered, plastic-framed thing that was on there. Now my saddle looks like this:





From a distance you can't really tell,



...but my butt sure can feel the difference!

The ride home was very windy today: twenty, maybe even thirty mph winds right in my face. I'm glad it was a nice warm wind though. I'm also glad the river wasn't too high for me to cross...



...although it was close, because even with the warm weather I really didn't feel like doing any extra miles this afternoon. Wind. BAH!

Oh... I forgot my other new bling! I also got a new t-shirt which hopefully will inspire me:



It's a little hard to make out, but it says RIDE MORE THAN YOU DRIVE.

If you want one (they're only $10 shipped right now), you can order it by clicking here.