Glorious October

October is my favorite month in Minnesota, and this month is turning out to be spectacular. It's hard to believe today's high temperature will be around 85 degrees! Warmer than most days in June or September this year. And that means an extended bicycling season. I love the crunching sound of dried leaves under wheel, but the partially gnawed black walnuts left behind by squirrels can be a real hazard.

I tooled around Lake Nokomis yesterday and, in addition to the usual compliment of dog walkers, cyclist and rollerbladers, I saw sail boats (including one with a dog in the bow--bow wow, indeed), a kayak, several people swimming, a child building a sand castle and some guys jamming on some tight blue grass/mountain music licks on the fishing dock. Really, this is not normal Minnesota behavior for October.

But we'll take it. The snows of winter can't be that far behind, and all of this will then be just a lovely memory.

Happy trails to ya.

Sunset Moonrise

Tonight I took a leisurely peddle east on Minnehaha Parkway and around Lake Nokomis just in time to watch the sun set on one side of the lake and the moon rise on the other.
Passed by the baseball fields just as the lights came on, the silence punctuated by the tink of a softball on aluminum bat. Can you beat a fall evening for biking?
After a days of 9-11 coverage I could only think how fortunate I am to live here, to have been born here in the land of plenty, with clean water, fresh food and a beautiful city out my front door. Fortunate indeed. And grateful.

This has been a spectacular weekend here in the Twin Cities, and finally, I had some time to hit the trails.
Yesterday's route: Down to the Midtown Greenway and west to the Cedar Lake Trail. (I think Cedar is my favorite of the Chain of Lakes, but because it is the furthest from my house, I don't get there on my bike often.) We circled the lake and then headed back toward Uptown, picking up parts of Lake of the Isles trail and then Calhoun where we stopped for a Mini Tin fish sandwich at the Tin Fish, just in time to beat the lunch crowd. (Best lunch deal around, says my pal Tom, and I agree with him. Stop by before they close up shop on Oct. 10.) We had sunshine, blue skies and we left early enough in the day to beat the afternoon's 90 degree heat.
When I started this blog earlier in the summer, I was hoping to have enough time and good enough weather to build up to biking the Grand Rounds in a day. The Grand Rounds is a National Scenic Bikeway made up of all the bike trails that circle the city and it's lakes,  about 26 miles in total, I think. Not far for the seasoned cyclist, but a far bike for the likes of my mid-century knees. But June was wet and cold, July ferociously hot, and August...well August was a challenging month for other reasons that don't belong in here. But September. Now September is a glorious month, and I began to think this eveing that the Grand Rounds is not out of the question yet.
I'll keep you posted on my efforts.
Happy trails to ya.

Walking and biking and biking and walking

Peds v. bikes

So, it happened again today. I was cruising the bike path around Lake Nokomis and three separate times I passed pedestrians on my path. Not on the foot path, where they belong, but walking down the bike path. It's curious behavior. I mean, it's not as if there isn't a perfectly good ped path, and closer to the lake, to boot. So what makes people want to walk on the bike path?

I stopped a couple of guys on Lake Harriet one morning and asked them. They said they wanted to run on the green next to the bike path, which is fine I guess, but they weren't. They were walking...on the bike path... I suggested to them--pleasantly--that were I to ride on the ped path I'd catch hell for it, and probably from the first pedestrian I passed.

"Your right," one admitted. "It's not really fair, is it."

I didn't stay to see if they changed course, but I hope I made them think.

There are signs along the Lake Harriet bike path that say, "If you don't have wheels beneath you, you're on the wrong path." Which I think is a fairly friendly way of putting it. I try to follow that example when I feel an instructive moment coming on.

Today, I just looked quizzically the two-footers as I glided by.

So, any thoughts folks?

What's so appealing about the bike path that makes pedestrians (even moms with strollers) willing to risk a probably painful collision with a bike? Is the asphalt really smoother on the other side of the lawn?

Happy trails to ya.

Biking, wine, a chef-made lunch and a good cause

If these are a few of your favorite things then don't miss out on the opportunity to sign up for the first annual Tour du Vin sponsored by Alexis Bailly Winery in Hastings.
This charity fundraiser to benefit Hastings Family Services offers three courses, a 20, a 30, and a 50-mile ride through the scenic countryside followed by lunch prepared by eat-local Chef Ken Goff, and plenty of delicious Alexis Bailly wine.
What better way to spend a Saturday in July.
If you decide to ride, don't wait, the deadline for signing up is July 10th. The ride is July 24th. Registration is $45 and space is limited.
Hope to see you there.
And check out the other great events at the winery this summer. The opening of the Sunday jazz series on July 3 was an afternoon of summer heaven.
Happy trails to ya.

No longer a pickle hater

Route: 40^nd Street RiverLake Bikeway west to Lake Harriet Parkway, 42^nd Street East to home.

I’ve never liked pickles. Not the taste. Not the texture. Not, definitely not, the smell. So I’m surprised to say that I can now think of the word pickle and experience joy. Yes, joy. As long as the word pickle is preceded by the words “bread and,” as in Bread & Pickle, the newest culinary treasure on the Minneapolis Parkway.

Took an early ride around Lake Harriet this morning to beat the heat. Lovely. Nary a soul on the bike path and only one “on your left” the entire circumference.

I made a pit stop at the band shell and decided to linger. There was a warm breeze blowing off the lake and the hazy sun was still comfortable. Then the breeze caught the rich aroma of coffee and couldn’t resist ordering a cup. Mmmmm. Dark, smooth, delicious and fresh, even the decaf.

But delicious coffee is only one of the attractions at Bread & Pickle, owned by rising restaurant mogul Kim Bartmann (full disclosure, also a friend). This year she has upgraded the usual concession fare from ice cream and popcorn (although she’s blessedly kept those nostalgic staples of the lakes) to include items like organic egg and cheddar sandwiches, hummus wraps and black bean burgers along with the more traditional beef version. All sourced as much as possible from local growers. Yay!

I admit, several years ago when Minneapolis said they were going to turn over the lakeside concessions to private contractors, I was more than skeptical. But Bread and Pickle, Sea Salt Eatery (Minnehaha Falls) and Tin Fish (Lake Calhoun) have—happily—proven me wrong.

There are other changes here, too. A slew of new picnic tables attractively set inside a hedge of flowering plants and free yoga at 6:30 each morning at the band shell. Although I’m generally not much of an early riser, I may have to haul my sorry butt out of bed to greet the sun in a true salute at least once this summer. Who knows, maybe it will become a habit. Especially if I can top it off with fresh coffee and organic eggs at Bread & Pickle.

So while I still may not want to find a pickle on my plate, I can now find joy where there were only sour notes before. Welcome summer.

Happy trails to ya.  

Red light, green light--the biking etiquette of stop and go

To stop or not to stop, that is the question

In the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, the American writer Frances asks the handsome Italian Marcello about Italians and stop lights.

“Green is avanti” he says.

“Yellow, avanti, avanti”

“And red? she asks.

“Just a suggestion.”

It seems that red lights are just a suggestion here for Twin Cities bikers too, and as for the lowley stop sign, well, “What stop sign?” I nearly creamed a guy who blew through a stop sign on while I was driving down 31^st Street in Uptown this afternoon.
This was no kid. This was a bicyclist, a string-bean thin man on a twig-thin bike with emaciated tires and the day-glo jersey to prove it.

So fellow cyclists, what is bike etiquette when it comes to the red, yellow and green? When do you stop, when do you slow down and when, as Marcello suggests, do you avanti, avanti?

RiverLake Greenway

Route: LakeRiver Greenway to Mississippi River Parkway, south to Minnehaha Falls. Then Minnehaha Parkway trail back home.

Happy Svenskarnas Dag!

It’s Swedish Heritage Day here in Minnesota and the blonds were out in full force at Minnehaha Falls Park for the annual celebration. I happened on this happy occurrence by accident on my ride and stopped to check out the fun.

There was traditional food, crafts and song.

Finally, it was a day when the schedule and weather gods came together to create the conditions necessary for an exploration of the new RiverLake Greenway, which opened officially on June 11. It is one of Minneapolis ever expanding bike-friendly avenues. It runs from Lake Harriet along 40^th Street to Nokomis Avenue, then jogs up to 42^nd Street to cross the Hiawatha Light Rail line and on down 42^nd to the Mississippi.

I got on near Phelps Park at Park Avenue and road to the river, curious to see what all the fuss was about. After all, this isn’t a bike path like the Midtown Greenway, it's just a regular road with some “traffic calming devices” (read roadblocks) added to keep the auto traffic down.

The ride was fine, a little hilly but nothing really strenuous. Not overly scenic, but a lot closer for me than the other Greenway and, at least on Sunday, nearly car-free.

Once I hit the river parkway, though, it was glorious. Sunny, not too busy. I took a break at a little turn off on the river and found out something new about something old in my town.

I’ve known there were walking trails along the Mississippi for a long time. In high school we used to have keggers down at “the flats” under the Ford Parkway Bridge, but today I learned these trails have a name, the Winchell Trail, and were the first scenic hiking trails in Minneapolis. The Winchell Trail runs along the river gorge from Franklin Avenue to the Ford Parkway Bridge, passing through the only gorge along the 2,350 mile length of the river.

Scenic overlook at the Winchell Trail

Cool, huh. If you want to check it out, you’ll have to leave the bike behind. It’s for hikers only.

Before I close out today, I want to get a shout out to Bikes and Pieces, a bikeshop/art gallery on 48^th Street at Chicago Avenue.

I went out to get the E-bike out of the garage today and the rear was totally flaccid. Tossed it in the car (another revelation-recumbent will fit in trunk) and ran up hoping to find someone who could fix it on a Sunday afternoon. Bikes and Pieces owner Mike Kmiecik fixed on the spot for $9.70. Thank You!

Mike Kmiecik

This is not your average bike shop. First, it’s tiny. Second, it’s all about reusing and recycling bikes and making art from the spare part and other bike related items.
Check it out if you’re in the neighborhood.

Happy trails to ya.

Biking for Beer (Happy Strudel Day!)

Route: Park Avenue bike lane to the Midtown Greenway, exit on Nicollet Avenue and head north for two blocks.

Going for beers with friends often brings up this question: To bike or not to bike?

Biking after imbibing seems less likely to land one a ticket. Can one in fact get a ticket for BWI?

But even if you’re only planning to have a couple of beers, as I did last night at the Black Forest, the bike home always seems a little longer, the uphill grade a little steeper. Biking is, however, a great way to work off the beer carbs so you can arrive home feeling both satisfied and virtuous.

However you get there, the Black Forest is worth the trip, especially in the summer months. This venerable Minneapolis landmark, which celebrates its 41st anniversary this year, has arguably the best patio in town, some of the best beer prices (mugs of German, Belgian, Austrian, and Czech beer $2.50 to $4), a full menu of German staples, including stellar potato pancakes and strudel.

Although the patio sits a slim sidewalk away from busy 26^th Street, traffic noise never seems to penetrate past the vine-covered, wrought-iron fence. Overhead trellises filter the sunlight even on hot days, and after dark, lights from the fountain give the place an enchanted feel, perfect for a first date or a 40^th anniversary.

Not patio weather? Don’t miss out on the people watching. The Black's thrown-back-in-time woody bar is home to some eccentric characters, and quite a few art students from nearby MCAD.

And after you’ve wet your whistle, peddle north. This stretch of Nicollet Avenue, renamed Eat Street, is home to more than 50 restaurants, delis and grocery stores and the cuisine of half as many nationalities.

By the way, June 17 is National Apple Strudel Day. Yum.

Happy trails to ya.

Biking in Minneapolis

I live in central South Minneapolis and my usual bike route takes in a bit of Minnehaha Parkway and a turn around Lake Nokomis. From my house, that's about a 7-mile ride. But there are extensive dedicated bike paths and trails through the city (check out this handy map) that take in the Minneapolis chain of lakes, Harriet, Calhoun, Isles and Cedar, a good chunk of the Mississippi River, including a 72-mile span dedicated as a national park and recreation area, Bassett Creek, Shingle Creek and Minnehaha Creek and Minnehaha Falls.
This summer , I'm going to try to ride them all, taking photos and making friends along the way.
This won't be as easy as it sounds. My 50-something knees get cranky, so I'm going to have to slowly increase the length of my rides if I hope to get all the way around town, and maybe ride the whole Grand Rounds bikeway in one day toward the end of summer.
That's all for now. Happy trails to ya.

Welcome to Fish on a bicycle

Welcome to Fish on a bicycle. This is an occasional diary of my travels around the Twin Cities on my bike. Let me start by saying -- I'm not a bike commuter. I'm a freelance writer and my daily commute is from the coffee pot in the kitchen to my home office upstairs.
I bike for fun, and sometimes I bike to get somewhere. I've been biking most of my life, and much of that life has been lived here in the Twin Cities, a place that Bicycling Magazine named America's Best Bike City.
While I can't speak to that, I'm pretty fond of the biking around here and all the great places you can get to using peddle power. So this is my attempt to chronicle what's cool, what's interesting, and what's just darn odd (a man taking his cat for a walk by Minnehaha Creek, for instance) as I roll around town on my bike.
This is not a blog about gear, road conditions, or bike technology, although I reserve the right to roll down those paths if they spirit moves me. Rather, it's a casual chronicle about where to go and what you can see, do, or eat along the way. A little two-wheeled tourism.

A bit about me. I got my first bike when I was five or six, a pink and white, hand-me-down Schwinn  which a neighbor's dad taught me to ride on the grass in their backyard. After an evening of fits and starts, I was on my way, circling the block like a maniacle tot on a mission. A couple of years later, I got my first new bike, another Schwinn, this one blue with silver fenders, and permission to ride it to Clara Barton Elementary three blocks away. From then on, the bike and the bus were my primarily means of travel. Junior high brought a an elegant Dunelt English 3 speed in a lovely gold metalic and the wonder of gears. High school came and with it, an orange 10-speed.
That was the first, but I's sorry to say not the last, bike that disappeared; its lock rendered useless by quick-fingered thieves.

These days, I ride a bike-E; it's built for comfort, not for speed, much like me. But it gets me around town and thrills the kids who wave to me as I ride by--almost as if I was my own little parade.
That's all for now. Happy trails to ya.