A Tale of Two Tires

"It was the best of tires, and the worst of tires."

"Good tires, bad tires - you know I've had my share..."

Wow! The creative juices really seem to be flowing! ... NOT! (Sorry!)

On March 12, I installed my "summer" tires. And since I'm always searching for the most economical rubber, I tried a couple different, and new, models.

On the back, I installed a Vittoria Randonneur, with "double shielding." It's a mid-to-high priced tire, at $27 or so. (That's at the HIGH end of my purchasing history.)

On the front, I installed a Michelin Dynamic. At $13 or so, it was at the lower end of the tire price range.

The Michelin lasted 1474 miles - that's BAD! I bought 3 of 'em - I won't buy more after those 3 are used up. (Typically one front tire will last me the entire "summer season," and 3 times that many miles.)

It failed due to what appears to be "carcass failure." It deformed to the point where there's a lump that goes thump-thump-thump as I roll. That's happened to me before, occasionally, with low-end tires from Continental and Hutchinson.

Here's what it looked like, a couple miles before I retired it:



On the other hand, the Vittoria on the back is going strong. It looks like it could easily go for another 1000 miles. (On the back, my "summer" tires tend to last about 1500 miles at the low end, and about twice that many at the high end.)

Oh - I had 3 flat tires on the front, since March. I've not had a single flat on the back! That double shielding stuff seems to work!

The Vittoria could go onto my "favorites" list. Possibly my all-time favorites have been the Continental "Top Touring" model - no longer made. And I had good luck with a pair of Specialized Armadillo models... but they're pretty spendy.

(At some point, when I have the nerve, I still intend to try some of the Schwalbe Marathon tires that several readers/correspondents have spoken highly of. But I'll need to fortify myself to buy a $45 bicycle tire! Ouch!!)

Five-star cars; one-star drivers

One of the selling points of cars is their crash-worthiness.

As of 2010, car occupants are strapped in securely, and surrounded by engineered "crumple zones" and airbags.

(It wasn't always that way. When I was a kid, seat belts were essentially uneard of. Jay Leno once described a 50s-era Buick: "The metal knobs stick out at you like Bowie knives. If you crash it, just hose off the dashboard and sell it to somebody else.")

All of this is a little disconcerting to the transportation cyclist, who is aboard a ZERO-STAR crash-worthy vehicle! On a bike, the only way to avoid injury, or worse, is to avoid the accident! And it's troubling to share the road with folks who are driving vehicles that were chosen specifically to allow them to survive the accidents they will be getting involved in.

At the same time, there is essentially no ongoing skill test to get a driver's license. Maybe it's different in other places, but once you have a driver's license in Idaho, all you have to do is pay your renewal money and pass the eye exam, and you're good to go. (I believe once you reach a certain old-age threshold, you need to prove your abilities.)

There also seems to be little incentive to be a good driver. You don't need to prove you know or understand traffic laws. And even if you get your license suspended... there are plenty of folks out there driving without a license. The situation seems to be generally tolerated by society.

Idaho's drivers are some of the better ones - #8, down from #1 - at passing the GMAC "written test." Take that, New York and New Jersey! Of course, knowing the answers is different from adhering to them. There seems to be a prevailing attitude that "Traffic laws are for the common people... my superior skills entitle me to treat them as merely suggestions."

This photo is the aftermath of a crash that was caused by a text-messaging kid. He was driving the smaller vehicle and sustained serious injuries. If his brain still functions, perhaps it's wondering how such a skilled motorist could've had such misfortune. Story HERE.

Mackie transportation upgrade

My dear friends' kids have outgrown their Tag-A-Long pull-behind bike. And by stroke of luck, my grandkid is just about right for something like that.

They were going to put it on the market to the General Public at a garage sale, but they gave us a sneak preview. We hooked 'er up, and before we'd gone a block, we were sold!

Mackie says it's way better than riding in the trailer! And I agree - I can actually stop pedaling, and she can push us along at a casual pace for some distance. Pretty impressive.

This morning we rode down to Morris Hill Cemetery to check out the beautiful flowers and flags. The cemeteries are always at their most beautiful on Memorial Day.

Garden City cop SUV on Greenbelt

Garden City - (in)famous for their stretch of "bike path" where bikes aren't allowed ... are also a little casual in their understanding of the "No Motor Vehicles" policy that's generally enforced on the Greenbelt.

I snapped this a couple days ago.



Undoubtedly the official response would be, "We were engaged in official business."

To which my response would be, "Yeah, right." I'm sure it's business that would've gone undone, had the officer not been able to park right there. (/sarcasm)

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

There are some other urban folks who seem to enjoy the outdoors, year-round. Here are some personal observations.

There is a corps of dedicated runners who feel the call, year-round, rain or shine.

There are also dog people. I see 'em walking up and down the street, and at the park, year round. Walkin' their dogs. Throwin' frisbees... or better yet, throwin' tennis balls with those arm-extension catapult things. There must be something in certain dog-breed DNA that makes 'em want to chase that ball! They'll keep chasin' for longer than most owners will keep throwin'.

Another group is the smokers. (They enjoy the outdoors, right?) There are probably a dozen at my office building. On beautiful, perfect days, I see 'em out there on the front sidewalk, and I'm a bit jealous. I think I oughtta take up smoking, so I could join 'em! But then I see 'em on wet, windy, nasty winter days, facing away from the arctic blast... shivering and smoking. And I'm always glad I didn't join 'em.

Another group has come to my attention more recently. It's the car movers group at the office. Let me explain.

The office is surrounded by "2 hour parking" stalls. Park there longer, and you risk getting a ticket.

There is a group of people that parks in those spots, first thing in the morning. Then, 2 hours or so later, they take the elevator to the ground floor, walk out, start up the car, and find a different 2-hour parking spot, somewhere else around the block. Repeat every 2 hours all day. Repeat every workday.

What's with that?

(I got curious, because for month after month, I've noticed some of the same cars, parked in those 2-hour spots. And I finally asked the security guy. He confirmed that the drivers are in and out all day, moving their car from stall to stall.)

Their motivation can't be saving time, because how much time would be spent engaged in the cause, by the end of the day? Nor can it be saving effort, I wouldn't think. They could park for free in an all-day spot, 2 blocks away. Surely it would be fewer steps-taken, when all is said and done. Or they could do like other car commuters, and actually PAY for a semi-convenient parking space. Do they think they're being clever, and pullin' a fast one on da man? And I'm no expert... but starting a cold engine, running it for maybe 2 minutes, then shutting it off? That's hard on motors, isn't it? I'd like to get in the head of those folks and understand what they're thinkin'.

The Devil's Tricks

An old John Mayall blues tune goes, "There ain't nothin' you can do... when the Devil plays his tricks on you."

I know not from whence it came, but we had some unseasonable weather - more like winter! - on Saturday.

High temperature - 46. Precipitation - 1.41 inches. Both records for the date in Boise.

I got a little work done in the morning before the sky opened up... and as 5pm - the scheduled start time for the Pedal Power Parade - approached, I looked outside anxiously every 15 minutes or so. But when it was cold and not sprinkling but raining vigorously, I chickened out. Frankly I'd be surprised to hear that it happened at all. (But I've been surprised before.)

May is still a gamble in these parts, if you're counting on nice weather. Chances are you'll be pleased. But don't be too disappointed if you get rained out. And there's always next year.

(Nonetheless, I completed Boise Bike Week with nary a trip in a motor vehicle, and cycling on all 7 days.)

Bicycle Block Party

The weather is looking a little dicey for the last 2 days of Boise Bike Week. But if weather were a major deterrent, I s'pose there wouldn't be very many cyclists. (We are a heartier lot than baseball players, golfers, motorists, and similar sissies!)

The Bicycle Block Party poster caught my eye... check it out.



The party starts this afternoon at 4pm. With a little luck, the rain will be minimal, or postponed 'til after 10pm.

Dunno if I'll get to the Block Party, although it looks to be awesome. I expect to be there tomorrow for the Pedal Power Parade. (With granddaughter Mackie in tow, if the weather is nice. If it's nasty, Grandma will prolly make her stay in.)

P.S. - I'm a little disappointed that they used my likeness on their poster, without getting permission first. But since it's for such a worthy cause, I won't put up a stink.