johnb

That's because you go into bike shops and talk your head off about stuff you have no idea or clue about Jake. I hear these stories from the bike shops you take your bike into -- they know you by face and name, and they can spout off all the stories you tell there, here and elsewhere. If you'd be, you know, less of an airhead, people may respect you a bit more. I'm not a gearhead by any means, yet I take in my road bike into various bike shops (Oakley, Element, Campus, etc.) to be repaired because I don't have the time or physical room to do it myself. I just took my racing bike into BioWheels to have new tires put on because I don't have a stand to install racing tires with (it's near impossible to do by hand), and they were polite, quick and we chatted up a bit on our various rides. Earlier in the year, I had my racing bike into Oakley to have a new derailleur installed and they receive my return business. I don't get smirks, sneers or derogatory comments because I'm on good terms with all of them. I bike with them. I go out for drinks with them. I don't make fun of their outfits, their helmets, their bikes. I don't brag about biking 20,000 miles, or about biking 100 miles on the Little Miami Trail. Big deal. When you do that, it's expected that you'll have laughed at. I don't stalk you, but you are quite obvious when you bike out. I don't follow bike culture, and I'm neither a "Lance Armstrong"-wannabe or a hipster with a fixed gear. I have a mountain bike, a single speed Masi, and a racing bike. I have clips for my shoes, lycra/spandex for my outfits, and regular shorts and shirts that I wear when I'm more casual (or want to say, go eat at restaurants). Bike culture says you can't ride on sidewalks? No, common sense does. It's safer to ride in the road where you don't mow down or weave around pedestrians (as I've seen you do). As for the helmet issue, I'll let you get hit by a car and crack your head on the pavement to let you determine if a helmet is a good idea or not. I've been hit by three cars, and thank god that my helmet was on. I would have been more seriously injured otherwise, since my head took some of the impact of the collision. I'm not sure that you'll suffer brain damage from falling in a Walgreen's surface lot unless you are already brain damaged to begin with...

I'm pretty certain that isn't true, unless you bike solely on bike trails where there is no grade. I'm certain I've seen you ride around town in 90F heat in jeans, but that's stupid, inefficient and inpractical. You overheat easier, and you have to make considerations to ensure the jeans don't shred in the cogs. Plus, you ride on sidewalks, which is illegal and dangerous. Your only long ride claim to fame was the Little Miami, which is nothing. Even my father can do that and he's 60. Why don't you do something more challenging, like bike from here to Pittsburgh on roadways with traffic? Then you'd sing a different tune. But hey, take your safety into consideration; if you choose to not wear helmets, that's your prerogative, but don't state that it's less cool to wear a helmet, like the same idiots who once claimed that it was less cool to wear seatbelts in automobiles. Don't tell others to wear clothes that are more comfortable, wick away the sweat and keep riders cooler -- especially over longer distances. Don't tell others to wear helmets because it looks less cool; I've seen some friends of mine get into some bloody accidents that would be MUCH worse if they didn't wear a helmet -- it's designed to protect your cranium, after all. Plus, you don't know how comfy it is to use spandex and lycra. And how sexy it is.

And Part II?

Or the time I wore a hat and got denied entry into The Righteous Room, and when I was finally allowed in (after taking the hat off), I saw people inside with cowboy hats...

The skywalk is still proposed, and the building is designed to accommodate a skywalk if ever needed.

I hope you aren't talking about the failure that is City West.

unicycle cleveland lorain bridge railing

...like? Just curious. This should have been decided upon prior to the acceptance of the federal monies. Fares and advertising can't cover it all. I am assuming TIF, and general tax revenue.

If Metro was operated as a business -- as it should be, then we'd have a few very profitable routes, concentrated development and a greater population that would be more pleased with the service -- and taxpayers that would be more happy with more money in their pocketbooks.

Get out your cameras for Wednesday... a big event!