I Cycled the Pa Turnpike and Lived

Saturday was a beautiful and balmy day, much more like Summer than late Autumn. It was a great day for walking, running or hopping on a bicycle. So I joined a group of adventurous souls from the Jim Thorpers Bicycle Team for a ride on the Pennsylvania Turnpike  We all survived, too. 

Before you send the Iranian drones to bag me, let me explain that we rode the Abandoned Pa Turnpike near Breezewood in Bedford County. Built in 1940, it was known as the tunnel highway. PennDOT soon realized that the two-lane tunnels originally built by South Pennsylvania Railroad were causing a bit too much congestion. The turnpike was expanded with newer and wider tunnels, and a 13 mile stretch was simply abandoned. Since that time, the tunnels have been used to train highway workers, test emission levels, train soldiers for combat in Iraq and even shoot a movie. 

Cyclists with helmets and lights are permitted to ride the highway. 

I first learned of this ride from Pathfinder (Ken Laudenslauger),one of my readers. He did it two years ago, and was kind enough to invite me for a trip with Jim Thorpe's cycling team so long as I promised to keep quiet about politics. So on Saturday, I hooked up with Pathfinder and four other "Thorpers" for the trip to Breezewood. 

They all sported their retro Jim Thorpe jerseys, complete with shamrocks and references to Molly Maguires. Michele served as official photographer. Ray was the pacesetter. Ken was the rear guard, where he often encountered me trying to sneak away. 

Unfortunately, the ride turned out to be only about 17 miles total. Moreover, the pavement has degraded badly over the past two years. But the tunnels were awesome. One of them was over a mile long. 

Tania and I both saw a group at one of the tunnel entrances  preparing for what seemed to us like a movie scene. I stopped and offered my services, but was spurned because they already had cast a vampire. Unfortunately for them, I was a bit parched.  

There were several walkers inside the tunnels. Most of them had lights as well. 

After our ride, we had dinner at the Jean Bonnet Tavern, which was one of the meeting places for the Whiskey Rebellion that George Washington himself put down in 1794. 

Other nearby bike trails beckoned, but we woke up to rain on Sunday and headed home.

I'll pick up tomorrow with more stories about what is happening locally. 

 

Community Bike Works Clean Mountain Bike Trail at Keck Park

Photo from Community Bike Works

Community Bike Works, a great local nonprofit that uses bicycles and positive mentors to help inner-city kids, cleaned up a new, introductory mountain bike trail at Keck Park yesterday. While there, volunteers received a visit from Mayor Ray O'Connell. I thought he was just a basketball player, but he's a cyclist too, and tells me he used to beat Marty Nothstein regularly at the Velodrome. He put on a clinic with the kids, showing them how to do the bunny hop to jump over logs. He left with an itch that he thought was a tick, but it turned out to be Courtney Robinson.

OK, now that I have your attention with a few lies, let me tell you about this trail. Kim Schaffer, who deserted Northampton County business bigwigs a few years ago to help kids at Community Bike Works, tells me that the trail was actually built last Fall and early this year by students of Community Bike Works, along with the City of Allentown and LV mountain bikers. It's designed to help mountain bike beginners, although the trail can be used by anyone. Kim's students, along with Muhlenberg College undergrads and Lehigh Gap Nature Center volunteers, have logged hundreds of hours there and pulled out many bags of litter and other garbage.

Yesterday, they also removed invasive plants. I believe that is called weeding. They were replaced with native plants. This is called planting. I'd love to see a few paw paws, which was George Washington's favorite desert and grows right here in Pa! You won't see them in a grocery store because they spoil too quickly.

Community Bike Works has an "Earn a Bike" program to give kids that special freedom you feel when two tires spin beneath you. Lebron James put it best: “A bicycle, for me, was the only way to get around the city. If I wanted to meet some of my friends, travel across the city, go to school, play basketball—anything—the bicycle was the way I got around."

If you have a used bike you'd like to donate, call Community Bike Works at (610) 434-1140.

Dead End

A reader cycling in rural Montana saw this bullet-riddled sign, and for some reason thought of me.

It pays to have a sense of humor. At least I think he was joking.

Bethlehem Now Has EMS Bike Medics

Bethlehem's Bike Medic Team is an inexpensive preparedness initiative that will be able access remote areas of the city, such as the tow path during running events, to evaluate and treat patients prior to getting the patient to the ambulance.

I could have used one on Saturday. ... and Sunday ... and  ... forget it.

Training will be provided by Police Chief Jason Schiffer, who is a certified International Police Mountain Bike Association instructor (IPEMBA).

Rain Ends Car Free Days at 15

Some of you have asked whether I'm still car free. After fifteen days, my car free days came to an end last week during Tuesday's rainstorm. I spent the next three days on a bike, but broke down again on Saturday because I was uncertain whether I'd beat the rain home after a football game in Bethlehem.

Yesterday, the crisp weather was great for cycling. While many in the Lehigh Valley fretted during a nailbiter between the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, there was still a large contingent of cyclists riding Sand Island on Sunday afternoon.

You can ride from Allentown to Easton along that trial and never have to worry about traffic or hills, but I'll take the road. Trails are full of blind spots, which can lead to collisions. And yesterday, I nearly did a header after going into a slide in what I thought was a small mud puddle. I nearly ended up in the canal.

Still, you can't beat views like the one below.

Could You Make the Monroe Street Hill?

I've now been car-free for the past eleven days, and it's been great. Above is a photo of the most challenging hill I face, on Monroe Street Freemansburg. I climb that when I have to go to Hanover Township or Bethlehem from the courthouse.

I hate hills, but the stretch along the towpath in Freemansburg is full of rocks. My bike has Kevlar tires, but they can go flat, too.

I'll take a hill over a flat.

The picture is deceptive. It's much steeper and longer than it appears. Honest! Fortunately, the police station is on top of that hill. They won't have so far to travel when I keel over. I think they have a dumpster ready for me.

How Long Can You Stay Car Free?

My bike is the first at West Easton Treatment Center

This is the perfect and most beautiful time of year to try it. A few years ago, the longest span I put together was four days. Last year, I was too fat to go more than a day at a time, and I had to use a LANTA bus to help me complete my trips. This year, I've gone the last eight days without a car. Whether it is work, a meeting, a football game or the grocer, I've been using my bike or hoofing it, and it's been a blast.

Zealots like the Coalition for Appropriate (not Alternative) Transportation's Steve Schmitt will give you all kinds of reasons for staying out of a car, but they're all bullshit.

They'll tell you it's cheaper, that every mile traveled on bike or by foot translates to a dollar less for gas and oil changes. But every dollar I save is spent on gallons of water, watermelon, bananas, and for some reason, baked beans. I've been eating lots of baked beans lately.

They'll tell you it's good for the environment, but I'm not so sure. After eating all those baked beans, I sound like a motorcycle. It's a good thing my saddle has extra padding.

They'll swear it's good for you, and will extend your lifespan by a gazillion years, and you won't get cancer and die. But it's not so good when you're an idiot like me and ride into things. This Summer, from just one minor fall, I had bruised ribs, tinnitus, and finally, sciatica. That's in addition to all the cuts and scrapes. Plus, bugs fly right into my eyes, although that happens anyway.

I've had many consultations with Michael Molovinsky, who swears he's a doctor.

He has started his own walking regimen. Bethlehem activist Al Bernotas went out and bought a bike.

They say that all the endorphins will make you a nicer person. But I'm still a miserable bastard, as evidenced by this blog.

Others will tell you that cycling is dangerous and that you'll die if you get on the road. That's nonsense, too. Most roads are wide enough to accommodate a car and a bike with ease. Most drivers, believe it or not, are very courteous. I would recommend Steve Schmitt's road safety course. I took that a few years ago and learned a lot. Just keep your car keys away from him.

They tell you it will take too long to get somewhere. It takes me about 45 minutes to get to the courthouse from Nazareth, which is not much longer than driving. Plus, I don't have to worry about finding a parking spot. They're all over the place.

The main reason I ride is because I love it. That's it.

Unlike some real hardcore troopers, I'm am unable to ride once the temperature drops. I'll try to hold on as long as I can, but here are this year's highlights.

Longest trip. - 44 miles to a Justin Simmons pig roast, where my dairy allergy prevented me from eating anything but tomatoes, pickles and baked beans.

Fastest speed. - 32.2 mph, going down a hill on Bushkill Drive.

Average speed. - 10-12 mph. I'm slow.

Weirdest ride. - Coming home in the dark last week, after a meeting in Bethlehem Township. It had poured earlier that evening. A mist blanketed the country roads, curling around my lights. A serenade of crickets, along with my own breathing, was my music. Much better than talk radio or NPR.

Scariest trip. - Last week, I rode to West Easton for the dedication of the new treatment center. I was scared to death I'd be shot for some reason.

Toughest hill. - Turning from Main Street in Freemansburg and up along the police station.

Most embarrassing moment. - Riding into a curb and doing a header on 13th Street in Easton.

Most pleasant moment. - On a hot day, I had stopped at Redner's, located next to the Palmer Bike Path. Watermelon break. As I sat there eating, a father and his young son came up on their bikes, but had no change for a bottle of water. I was down to about 13 cents myself, but still had watermelon and shared it with them. The young boy loved it. "There's nothing like watermelon on a hot day!" he proclaimed. He was right, and at that moment, all three of us were young boys.

The Birds

You just never know what (or who) you might run into along the Palmer Bike Path.

I was riding today with a buddy who cruises at about 18 mph, while I have to pedal my ass off. But then we left the roads and hit the Palmer bike path. This is unfamiliar territory to my friend, so he let me take the lead, and I practically road us into what you see above.

Fortunately, someone had chalked a warning sign right in front of it or we never would have known that tree was there.

What knocked it over?

Woodpeckers.

Those little bastards have spent what must have been years, pecking little holes into the damn tree, just hoping it would fall over and kill someone. They must have very hard peckers.

Don't believe me? Well, here's Exhibit A.

My friend, an engineer, insisted on using logic. He refused to blame the damned pecker heads. But the only thing a damn engineer is good for is fixing a flat tire. He obviously never watched any Alfred Hitchcock movies.

Saucon Rail Trail Beckons

Saucon Rail Trail, Hellertown

One of the Lehigh Valley's greatest features is its abundance of walking, cycling and running trails. Whether its the macadam surface of the suburban Palmer Bike Path or the shaded serenity of Nor-Bath Trail, it's always a treat to visit these former trolley and rail lines.

For my money (which is nothing, because they're all free), the Lehigh Canal tow path is the best of 'em all. From Allentown's Canal Park to the Bethlehem Boat Club, you can travel 10.4 miles in one direction. For endurance athletes or avid cyclists, you can even extend your trip into downtown Easton.

Yesterday, for the first time, I checked out the Saucon Rail Trail, a 5-mile stretch of former SEPTA line between Hellertown and Upper Saucon Community Park. I've heard lots of good things about this path, but wanted to see for myself.

Caleb Walsh, age 4, and younger brother Declan, prepare for speed record

First, it has to be the widest of all the bike paths I've traveled in the Lehigh Valley. That's a big plus for family rides. Second, the surface - crushed stone - is perfect for running, yet remains gentle enough for even a road bike. Third, no surprises. Portions of most trails have rocks or tree roots that have taken me out more than once. This surface seems to be much more carefully groomed. Fourth, except for a half mile or so in Hellertown, it is well-shaded. Fifth, it is certainly the most level course I've ever ridden. It's a very slight incline, nearly imperceptible, from Hellertown to Upper Saucon's Park. Finally, drivers at intersecting roads are remarkably courteous. They all slowed down and stopped when they saw me, even though they have no obligation to yield to a cyclist. (Maybe they were luring me in).

Any downsides to this path? One minor complaint. No mile markers. At least none that I noticed.

If you want to see some of the most posh homes in the Lehigh Valley, this is a nice trail to ride. God, some of the homes were downright obscene as I pedaled through J.B. Reilly country.

There's also an assortment of very attractive women, promenading up and down. One of them, I kid you not, was clad in a bikini as she pushed her two children along in a stroller Her back was decorated with tattoos of her two boys. Never saw that before. She told me they were real, too. (Hey, I had to find some reason to talk to her).

If you are cycling there, as I did, I'd recommend using the side streets to stay off Hellertown's very busy Main Street, which is clogged with NY and NJ transplants.

Although the temps were much cooler yesterday than they were in our most recent heat wave, I still had to ride by this:

On the way home, I jumped in for a swim.

Very refreshing.

Team Ireland Takes a Tumble

Yesterday was a running day. I stay off my bike those days. But with a threatened record temperature, damaging UV rays and unhealthy air index, I felt challenged.

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing, I always say. After all, I am an alkie.

Unfortunately, I was defeated. Not by the heat, but my own stupidity.

Here's what happened. After waiting for a red light at Bushkill Drive and 13th Street, I turned right to descend the 13th St hill. But I was having trouble getting my right foot back into the pedal straps. Before I knew it, I had hit the curb on 13th at a pretty good clip. My sternum smashed into the handlebars, which propelled me backwards. I slammed into a grassy knoll, back first.

As I lay there, trying to piece together what the hell had just happened, a large number of drivers actually pulled over, which is a little risky on that hill, just to ask if I was alright.

I was shocked at the kindness displayed by everyone. They obviously were unaware they were dealing with a bottom-feeding blogger.

One gentleman who actually saw me take this partial header stopped and got out of his car. He called 911 and would not leave me until he was satisfied that I was OK. He introduced himself as Jim Pokrivsak, whom I recognized as Easton School District's Athletic Director.

"I'm a big athletic supporter," I told him.

"I can see that," he answered.

Because my handlebar and saddle were twisted and my chain had popped, I decided to walk the bike to Broken Spoke, about a mile away.

As I trudged along, an Easton police officer also happened by and stopped to make sure I was alright.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"Only my pride is hurt," I answered.

Broken Spoke had my bike fixed and rarin' to go in about 5 minutes. It will take me a little longer. I know my sternum and rear ribs are bruised.

Today is supposed to be another hot one. On top of that, there are supposed to be severe thunderstorms late this afternoon. And I'm a little raw. So naturally, I'll ride in today.

Why I Like To Bike To Work

My B.U.V. (Bike Utility Vehicle)

I can give you all kinds of good reasons for riding a bike to work. I'm sure you've heard them all, too. Several times. Usually from pious bastards in leotards who think they're better than you. Let me tell you why I do it.

It's fun. That's it. Remember what it's like to barrel down a hill on a bike, full blast? How it feels to finally beat that hill? Or for some of you, that ethereal ride home in the dark, where strange sounds and sights greet you around every bend on a moonlit and lonely road?

It's always an adventure.

Some ride year round, but they're mostly aliens who work in local hospitals for some reason, getting things ready for the inevitable invasion. Ignore them and their bug suits.

Me, I can ride when the temp hits 70 degrees. Any lower than that and my hands and feet fall off. The aliens then pick them up and ride off with them.

Contrary to what you might have heard, the hardest part of bicycling is NOT the burning lungs, screaming thighs, cramped calves or those flat tires. It's not even the occasional spill, which I manage at least once every month.

It's the sore ass.

Believe me, whether you're an ultrarunner or NFL lineman, your ass is the last body part to adapt to the rigors of cycling.

My cycling commute is from Nazareth to Easton and back. Last week, I also cycled to a few meetings. Yesterday's meeting of Bethlehem Township Commissioners was canceled, so I took the long way home from the courthouse. I rode the entire length of the Palmer Bike Path, from Riverview Park to the 25th Street Shopping Center. Along the way, I ran into this gal.

When she spotted me, she took cover. But she really had nowhere to go because she was next to a cliff. I slowly rode past her and waved to her as she stood in the brush, trying unsuccessfully to hide.

She came out and, this time, began looking for an exit that took her closer to the Lehigh River.

As she disappeared into the brush again, I walked up and looked down, and there she was, looking right at me, saying toodleoo in deer talk.

In a car, you'll see a deer carcass from time to time. This was much cooler.

Then some bird shit on me.

LANTA Bus Driver & LHS Senior Helped Nab Hit-and-Run Driver

Cyclist Frank Pavlick, Jud Smull and Richard Gubish

What sets Bethlehem apart from other other communities, according to Mayor John Callahan, is the willingness of its citizens to get involved, whether it's as volunteers in festivals or participants in public meetings. On April 5, he singled out two area citizens who demonstrate that, in Christmas City, "people do rally care about each other."

Callahan, along with Police Commissioner Jason Schiffer, honored two citizens who helped veteran Officer Wade Haubert apprehend a hit-and-run juvenile driver, who had just rammed into the rear of a bicycle being ridden across the Fahy bridge by Frank Pavlick on April 2.

LANTA bus driver Richard Gubish with proud parents

Right after striking Pavlick, the juvenile attempted to get away. But LANTA bus operator Richard Gubish, Jr., who saw the crash in his rear view mirror, pulled his bus across both lanes, stopping the juvenile. "There's no getting around a bus," Gubish laughed.

At the same time, Liberty High School Senior and class valedictorian Judson Smull, was on his way to Lehigh after track practice. He stopping to help Pavlick, who urged him to get the license plate of the offending vehicle.

Pavlick suffered minor injuries, although he said they don't feel so minor a few days later.

LHS Senior Jud Smull, with mom and dad

Smull did one better. He trapped the hit-and-run vehicle behind the bus, making escape impossible. Office Haubert quickly took the juvenile into custody, charging him under a new bike safety law that went into effect that very day. It requires anyone passing a bicycle to do so on the left, keeping a buffer distance of at least four feet away.

Haubert also charged the hit-and-run driver with failure to use signals, and fleeing an accident that involved bodily injury.

"This is a bike friendly community," Mayor Callahan said, stressing that "there are people out there every day," riding their bikes to work. In addition to commending Gubish and Smull, the Mayor reminded everyone that "we need to share the road."

There is a shared bicycle lane on the Fahy bridge, where the accident occurred, marked with chevrons. A video of the accident, captured by the City's wireless camera system, has been posted on YouTube by Bethlehem police.

After awarding Gubish and Smull with proclamations, Callahan joked with Smull not to let this go to his head and lose his valedictorian status. Smull will matriculate with Lehigh University this Fall.

In addition to driving a LANTA bus, you might find Gubish delivering pizzas. His family operates the Little Caesar's pizza franchise on Eastn Avenue, north of Liberty High School.

Back in the Saddle

Before the ride

A few Saturdays ago, I suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Express Times Editor Joe Owens in a 5k. I've been out there every day since late May, while he's done nothing. He even popped a Slim Jim a few minutes before the race started. Now he's calling himself "Irish lightning."

Since that fateful day, I've intensified my training. My bicycles kept beckoning me, but I've resisted them because I was afraid the tires would pop the moment I got on one of them.

On Sunday, for the first time in six years, I hopped on my BUV (bike utility vehicle). It's a monster equipped with headlights that will blind you, bad-ass Kevlar tires and a frame that can smash right through the thickest bushes. I enjoyed the brief ride so much that I decided to ride it from Nazareth to the courthouse on Monday. My sore ass and throbbing thighs are telling me I should have waited a few months or years, but what the hell do they know? I had a blast and will be doing it again soon, maybe this week.

Believe it or not, I made it to the courthouse. Sure, I had to walk up three mountains, but I made the nine miles in a blistering time of 53 minutes, which is about 60 mph.

Before walking into the courthouse, I stopped at a friend's office to show off and impress his hot secretary. But when I stepped inside, the blast from the air conditioner made me break out in a sweat, and it wasn't long before I was dripping all over both of them.

I plopped down in one of his cumfy chairs to take a load off, and discussed all the world's problems for about thirty seconds before realizing I really needed a drink of water. But when I got up, my buddy's chair was full of sweat that was now pouring out of my ass for some reason.

At least I think it was sweat.

I cleaned up that mess with a bottle of Fabreze. Hey, if it works on cat shit, it should work on me.

After wowing everyone at the office, I strolled across the street to the courthouse, where my bicycle helmet was immediately confiscated. Those things must be dangerous.

I confronted another friend who has been thinking about getting an e-Bike (battery assisted). "Suck it up!" I told him, and then proceeded to brag about how fast I made it in from Nazareth, which is mostly a downhill ride.

As I exercised my jaw muscles, I noticed that I was beginning to get stiff ... not there ... but in all the places where a man does not want to be stiff. My legs felt like rubber. Even my wrists were sore.

After

No problem. I could just hop on a bus heading to Northampton Community College, which would reduce my ride home to just 5 miles.

And that's what I did. While waiting outside of the Easton Area Community Center, I started sweating (I know, I should say I perspire) again, and one of the ladies inside took pity on me and gave me a bottle of water, which was delightful.

As we discussed flu shots, a courthouse worker who religiously walks to and from the courthouse everyday, saw me on her way home. All three of us talked about flu shots until the bus came.

The bus was packed, mostly with students heading to the Community College. I pretended I was a professor. Most of them have iPods and tuned me out anyway.

When we got there, I popped onto my BUV and made my way onto Rte 191 for the ride to Nazareth. Although it was rush hour, only three people tried to run me off the road. I did get an email from a friend - an avid cyclist - who saw me struggling up the hill near Rte 191 and Newburg Road. "I think I saw you on a bike at about 5:45 tottering out of Newburg and heading towards Nazareth. I was worried about you.........at the pace you were setting and the distance yet to travel, I was not sure you would make it before dark!"

He's obviously jealous.

He denied he was one of the bastards who tried to run me down. "I was going in the opposite direction. I am also a member of the NRA. I certainly would not miss a target that size!" He added that he's been reading my blog. "I do believe there are some folks on there who truly do not like you! I guess they just need to take the time to know you better! LOL"

Yeah, he's funny. He should be on Saturday Night Live. We'll see how much he laughs when he tries to start his car tomorrow.

Despite this guy's obvious attempts to murder me, I made it to Nazareth before nightfall. I even had time to stop at Giant for a few slices of watermelon, my favorite treat. While standing outside and admiring all the ladies who were parading in and out of there, another old fart came over and started talking to me. He's 84, a WWII vet, and must have thought I was in his age bracket.

"Have you had a bypass, too?" he asked.

I kicked the shit out of him and rode off.

First Sowing Seeds Bike Ride Tomorrow in Upper Milford

Although I think it's a tad tacky for Allentown to conduct a bike race on 9/11, you can actually ride in another bike event the following day in Upper Milford. It's the first ever Sowing Seeds Charity Bike Ride, and it will be staged from Jasper Park.

A 5-, 20- or 40-mile ride will benefit Lehigh County’s Seed Farm, a non-profit agricultural incubator that trains people to become farmers on 25-acres of land in Upper Milford.

Registration for any of the three bike routes is $25 in advance and $35 if you register the day of the event. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Start times for the three rides are staggered with the 40-mile group heading out at 8:30 a.m.

After the ride, bikers will be served a lunch of locally grown food at Jasper Park.

Lehigh County is a leader in farmland preservation, protecting more than 19,291 acres on 233 farms from urban sprawl and development. The agricultural incubator will help the county build a new era of farmers and agricultural professionals, said Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham.

“Agriculture and farming are a vital part of Lehigh County’s economy,” Cunningham said. “We have to approach economic development in that industry just as we would any other. Our goal is to allow prospective farmers to enter the business of agriculture without having to make huge investments in land and equipment.”

Participants are paired with mentor farmers in the program and given access to land, tractors and other equipment during their apprenticeship. Produce, such as lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes, and herbs and livestock raised on the Seed Farm are sold at local farmer’s markets.

If you'd like to become a Seed Farm apprentice, contact Jeff Zehr, Director of Farmland Preservation at 610-391-9583 ext. 15 or by email at jzehr@lehighconservation.org. The deadline is Nov. 1 and classes begin in February 2010.