Everyday.

My Commute. My Stand.

Rain..............BlackJack.

So, I have turned 21, went to Lowell and had a Sunday ride to Kerouac Park and some bars. I was on a beat Varsity but still had a blast, the ride to Chelmsford was rough but I made it. Thanks for those who were there and the people I met, it was very layed back and nice. Since my birthday it has rained just about everyday, my commute is wet, I am giving up cigarettes as of now its been 5 days, this time I got some gum. I have acquired some new gear and parts, building a new road bike, getting a single speed together, building wheels searching for a new track frame and loving my job.

I guess it is time to start talking about my trip I have been planning. I will be heading to Paris for a week come the end of July. I have it all worked out except for getting my bike there. I do not think it will be much of a problem, i will just have to pay a few more bucks to get it on the plane. I am going by myself, friends showed interest but it was hard for everyone to pull funds to go. So thanks Scott for paying me so well at the shop.

I figure it this way, the best way to see a city is to ride it. A day is not enough time so I am doing a week and catching some of the Tour. It should be nice, I need some real time alone where I wont run into people I know or dwell on the things that have been rolling in my head for a while now. My home town is foreign to me, my Home is still the same, but the landscape and people of the place igrew up in has altered. I am an alien. I just do not feel like I am from here anymore, simply just hanging my cap for a few months until I head back to Amherst. I am a Nomad. These are some of the things I need to work out on the cobble streets of Paris, this is not so much a vacation as it is therapy, a quest for self discovery, explanation and exploration.

The Shop.

Here is what our shop look like at UMass. Good times, small space.

MAKE IT RAIN!!!

So, another Friday comes, the day started out beautiful! Shorts and a sleeveless-t, nothings better. After the shop closed up a few of us rode out to NoHo to the Smith Bike Kitchen to say hello to the gals that work there. It was a nice ride, back roads not too hilly but burned the legs. We got there after a little search around campus, it must have looked a little odd for a pack of eight or so guys riding through the all girls campus, yelling at each other and not paying any attention to the people around us, I don't think people knew what to do when they saw us coming. Well, we find the Kitchen and introduce ourselves check out the space and start helping out with bikes. We were working outside then it began to rain. The Kitchen is no bigger than the Coop at UMass, but a little more out of the way and looks like Freddy lives there, but its a space and the girls there enjoy it. We say our goodbyes and are off to ride the 9 or so miles back to campus.


We get back, riding through some farms and nice mellow hills and some great flat sprints. It was raining pretty heavy at this point, so we jump onto the bike path ans I cruise back to my house, the path conveniently come out behind Amherst College a few doors down from my house. I take a shower, have a beer and re coop before heading out, grab a nice meal with Dorthy Mantooth and never call her again.

Well, now its raining really hard and it is Ten so time to hit the spoke, we don't get asked to move and hide under the over hang. We decide to hit one party and hang there as long as we can. its a friends house so we know it will be alright to be there all night. Route 9 in Amherst is a long stretch of strip malls and gas stations. It all starts with a big descent down a monster of a hill. We get going after our booze is picked up, the rain is still coming down hard and the roads are soaked, I forgot my rain pants and most everyone else didn't even have rain pants. Down the road we go, single file, not much talking or laughter going on like we usually do. I hang at the end of the line and look on as everyone rides on, my clothing beginning to collect the rain. I get into a rhythm, ten pedal strokes to every drop of rain from the brim of my cap. Smooth and fluid as the water around me. I just hang back, keep a mellow pace and just enjoy the hum and swish of the road. Then we get close to the house and I sprint to the front to show the group the drive way and we are there, damp and ready for a beer.

We enter and are welcomed, told the dryer was ours for the night and to toss our things in. This is nice, I grab a seat on the counter and don't really move say for another beer, or a quick dart outside.

Time to leave and we put our half dry clothes on and head back out into the cold rain night moving toward morning. We jump out onto Route 9, and jump on the bike path home. Bad idea, its dark and they mixed glass into the asphalt to lower the cost, this means a lot of flats, out comrade got one so we walked the three or so miles back with him. Well riding a bike drunk is easy, but walking one is a son of a bitch.

Next morning, wake up late and need to get to the Coop, 15 pieces of glass in my front tire, I walked, used the spare tube the day before. Just another Friday night, don't know the extent of it all until the morning.

A bit about Work. And commute.

The UMass Bike Coop, a small, narrow high ceiling room in the University's Student Union. We try and make it work but space is an issue, to get an idea of the space its about two and a half bikes wide and maybe eight long, we have one stand which two mechanics can work on at once. But with the weather becoming nice here in Western Mass, the bikes are coming out. We do have a small storage space outside under an over hang. We are the underdog student business on campus, we are stereotyped as the goofs and underachievers, I can say we work hard to keep this shop going and as one of the two businesses that is not food oriented its hard for people to understand just what goes on in running things. For the most part, people bring in bikes saved from yardsales or attics, left in snow and rain or was their bike as a kid. Some bring in their trusty commuter, their weekend road bike or mountain bike. No matter what we fix it, we have to, in some cases we should just tell them to put it in the dumpster like some shops do, but they are just riding from their dorm to class of to the store downtown, let them ride what they want. Bikes are like people and people are like bikes. We all look at a bike and judge it, just like we do with people, so in a sense we judge a person by their bike. This is human nature and we can all get past this. I enjoy working on every bike that comes through the doors of our shop, no matter how shitty. Its great to see people ride away, being happy about their bike.

Maybe I care a little too much at times, I love my bike, I put just as much care and effort into others bikes when I fix them as I do my own and hope that when it leaves the shop they care for it just as much. It really is a bummer to fix up a bike and put alot of time into it and then see it back in the shop a month later mangled and rusted, all your hard work ruined. I tell people to treat their bike like a cat or dog, you wouldnt leave your dog or cat outside over night, leave them out in the rain or not give them the things they need to survive. A bike is the same way, if its neglected it will rust and components may stop working, you need to give it lube, air, and attention. Take care of your bike, bottom line.

Thanks Tyler

Heres some writing from my friend Tyler, I wanted to get other people i ride with to just write what ever comes to their mind, here is his, enjoy......

First off, you'll have to forgive the lack of direction with this post. I knew I wanted to write something, just not exactly what, or where I wanted it to go. I don’t know why I ever stopped riding. It seems that once I hit 14 I forgot about bicycles in general. I don’t particularly know why it happened, but here I am six years later feeling like I have rediscovered something great. When I was young, my bike was my only transportation. In the summer both my parents would be working for the majority of the day, leaving me home with no real way to get anywhere. If I wanted to head over to a friend’s house (more specifically a friend with a pool) I couldn’t ask for a ride, I had to pedal myself over. Georgetown had a small bike shop, and if I had some time to kill I was riding down, and would walk aimlessly around the shop (trying to appear as if I was looking to buy something, but secretly watching the mechanics work on bikes and trying to figure out what exactly they were doing, then going home and trying to do the same to my own whip)I think that bicycling is something I associate with my childhood. I can remember doing countless laps up and down my street, and going OTB when I tried riding no hands and no feet down my hill. Some of the first good friends I made were neighborhood kids who happened to be out riding one day, there was an impromptu game of red light green light, and then contests to see who could make the longest skid in some sand with their coaster brake. (So young and already having basic trackstand and skid comps!) To me, it’s not just the riding that makes bicycling so much fun. It’s the sense of community surrounding the activity itself. There is energy. It could be felt last Friday at critical mass. I don’t know how to explain it, but if you were there I think you know what I'm talking about. You could see it on the face of the little kids we slowly paraded by through Amherst Center. You knew that if they had their streamer rocking, top tube pad wearing, baseball card spinning bikes right then, they would have joined the fray. Our critical mass wasn’t as much of a protest, as it was a large group of riders looking to go for an easy ride with some friends. I like going. Nowhere in particular, just riding. It’s like going for a relaxing cruise in a car, but a bit more energizing and open to your surroundings. There have been several nights at 1 or 2 when I’ve gotten some funny looks as I walk my bike down the hall and out into the (until recently) cold frosty nights. I'm just going for a ride to clear my head and get out of my stuffy dorm room. Last night I gave a friend a call around 3:45 and we both went out for a short lap around campus. (I didn’t realize quite how tired and under the influence I was until we hit some moderate uphills- sorry if you were looking to ride around longer man!) Friends down the hall will ask 'Where are you going?' I just smile and respond with 'Just Going.'

Just Whats on my mind.

The warm weather is on its way and bikes have been rolling in to the Coop. It feels good to have black hands at the end of the day. People have been coming in with their bikes that have been left on racks all winter, or the yard sale bike they got over break. Its great though, not all people are into riding year round and that's cool. As long as they are riding I am fine. What I don't like however, is when people are embarrassed of their bike. I guy came in with a Huffy mountain bike(not sure of model or year) and was apologizing for how crappy it is. Its fine, your twenty something and cant afford a good bike, does it get you from a to b, yes, good. Having a good bike takes time, its a slow process and should be. When I was a kid I had a BMX, it was right off the show room floor and a rode it for a few months then found something new to keep me occupied. It was not until years later that I started to race Mountain Bikes for the school I was attending, again the bike was handed to me. I learned nothing, I let other people work on it for me and treated it like shit. Then when I was a sophomore in High school I got a yellow Raleigh Sprite 27, for 5 bucks, I fixed it up and rode it until college. On this bike I learned respect for bicycles, I had to work hard to keep it in riding condition and had to work to ride it, it was a piece. College comes and I leave it at home, I entered UMass in the middle of the winter, here is where I began to get into road bikes and track bikes. I am now a mechanic and ride everyday no matter the weather. But it takes time, you cant go from one extreme to the other in a week. So don't be embarrassed of your bike, learn from it, take care of it and progress.

So, the forecast looks good for tomorrow and its the last Friday of the month so you know what that means, Critical Mass. Now, being out in Amherst Critical Mass may just be more of a nuisance than a way to help bicycle awareness. But, to me its a time to ride with my friends and acquaintances in a pack and have a good time. This is how I look at it, when I ride by myself I am aggressive and will let cars know I am there and to give me some room, but when you are riding in a Critical Mass there is no need to be aggressive and yell or punch at cars. During a Critical Mass people driving are aware of you they see 50 or so people on bikes and will get out of the way, this ride is more to express a point that we all ride everyday and cars should be aware that in a group of two or fifty we deserve the same respect.

My commute is short, 2miles, and I get through it with ease every day. Though the mornings suck all up hill the first half. But its quiet and not much traffic. Until the second intersection. Every morning I roll up to it and there is little room between me, the cars and granite curb. In this small space there are pot holes, sand and chunky pavement. On most mornings I slip through and race the cars into campus, this morning however I got pushed into the curb and jumped around a bit. I didn't fall over but it sure as hell woke me up. I gave a friendly tap on the passenger window and relieved myself of some saliva, she looked scared having not seen me, so I smiled and moved on. If you let them know your there, smile and give a wave, they are more likely to remember to give cyclist room. She pushed me a little so I pushed back, this is not eye for an eye but an exchange of "Hello", I am here you are here, we are both on the road so lets share it.

A little late, but I need to take it all in.

Ten in the p.m. and the red lights come flashing from in front of the Spoke as the early birds show up to ride. I get there, as an early bird and in about fifteen minutes we are a pack of about 20, bags at the ready with beer and goods for the night, red embers hissing and glowing from cigarettes. As the group forms and addresses are put on the table for party locations we move to our friends house to put a few back and wait a bit for the hosts to be in a more inviting mood. It is hard for a group of about 20 guys (there are only 3 girls if that in the pack on any night) to just show up at a party and not get kicked out. So, we have a beer or two, a toast and jump on the bikes. Away we go, down Triangle Street to Main, 699? was the location. Triangle Street is down hill to the intersection of Main, needless to say we are all a little buzzed and the skids feel like butter, but loose chain lines and potholes make for a harsh ride, about a quarter of us lost our chains coming towards the red light. My buddy Brian wasnt so lucky, he came to the light and went OTB from the sand on the road, or something the details are still up in the air as to just how he ended up face first in the pavement.

With some cheers from the rest of us we were on our way once the light blinked green and down Main in a hurry, this road is longer and steeper than the last with a few more potholes. I think the term "Masshole" cmae about not because people from Mass are assholes, but for the abundance of potholes to screw up anything on wheels.

Well, in one piece we make it to the house, right away things look out of place. Not to many cars in the driveway and no noise coming from it either. The door opens and a small, average college guy comes to the steps.

"Who are you guys, who do you know here?" the figure askes to the group, one dude who "Knows someone" speaks for the group. I never knew what was really said untill days later, but i went up took one step in the door and turned to leave.

"To my house!"

So we end up at my house, a little place that looks like a Doll House, I live with some Hockey guys and my brother, its alright.
We are there for about 15 minutes before the guys come home with a look of anger and defeat on their faces, it was time to leave again.
Out to a house where i know a few people, most of us never make it inside and just stand at our rack of bikes telling every drunk bro the same thing abotu how our friday night works.
I dont know about the rest of the guys and girls I ride with but I get a great sense of pride everytime I have to explain my motives for riding my bike.
That party was cool, nothing all to crazy went down, from here the group split, people heading off on their own, to their girls/guys place or sticking around.
A majority of the group and I went off to a small house just about on campus. This place looked dead from the outside, and as we moved closer looked like a satanic ritual was going on on the inside. We stand outside waiting to get the okay from someone who knows someone when our connection comes out in a white hat and sun glasses and tells us all to come in and have a beer. We have a 30 handed to us and start dancing, there were only about ten kids from outside our group in this place and we swarm and take over. As we get a roaring thing going some girl crys out, "If you only know the guy in the white hat, Then LEAVE!"
Well, it sucked but we had our time and beer there so we left, stealing another 30 on the way out and heading for home.

First Things First

So, there is a group of riders, mechanics and all around bike nerds that attend The University of Massachusetts Amherst and get together every friday night to ride. I am one of them, a mechanic at the University Bike Co-Op. It is a very small student run Co-Op that helps the University and local bike community for a little to no money ethic as well as build a strong group of friends and over all bike community. This blog does not however speak for the whole group, I am a single person who is involved with this community and feel that writing about my time and adventures with these people helps to take a weight off of my mind. As well, document a part of my life that is important to me and many other people apart of this community.



Along with telling stories of the FGDT (Fixed Gear Drinking Team) I may tell some more personal stories about my life and its relation to bicycles. I may even say a few words about some things in Bike Culture around the world, who knows I am using this forum to get things out and relate them in some way to a big part of my life, bikes.