lydy | Plague Diary: In Which I Bike in Cleveland (Well, Technically Maple Heights)

I went to the main campus for the Cleveland Clinic today to get my ID badge. Once again, the automated fingerprint reader had trouble reading my fingerprints. We eventually got that done, but it was a bit irritating. On my drive there, I saw a barber barbering in a barber shop, without a mask. I involuntarily cried, "Why, my dude, why?)

When I got home, it was about 37 degrees, and I have not been on a bike since November 23rd. I could check my records, but I'm pretty sure that's the longest I've gone without a bike ride since I started riding in May. I got Jezebel, my folding e-bike, out of my car, unfolded her, and set off in a random direction. I was basically planning on just doing a couple of miles. I took whatever road looked interesting and not too busy, and trusted that Google Maps would bring me home again. This did, indeed, work, and I ended up riding about 6 miles. I got honked at for riding in a perfectly safe and legal fashion on a slightly busy street. Welcome to Cleveland, I guess. The pedal assist is, among other things, really easy on my knees, to the point where I'm wondering if I can ride without my braces. It was a lovely ride, even though it was a very dark, grey day. I wore my high visibility vest, and put on the blinkies front and back. Then I folded Jezebel all by my self (first time I've done it without David's help) and put her back in my car. It was a lovely ride. Even if I only get another couple rides this season, it will have been worth it to pack Jezebel.

There's a squeaky rattle in the front. I suppose I should see if I can find a local bike shop. Sigh.

I start work on Monday. I'm very excited.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

haertstitch

how close were you to the exploding powerstation? they said it was south of Cincinnati. ?
sounds like I need to check out pedal assist
wonder if my back would do ok with it?

lydy

Cincinnati is a goodly distance away. I'm in Cleveland.

It kind of depends on what problems your back has. I mean, you are still doing some balancing using your core, so if that's hard on your back, it will remain hard. I find that biking is basically neutral for my lower back, neither helps nor hurts it. But my knees, man my knees are a problem. And the pedal assist not only makes hills easy, but is kinder to my knees over all.

womzilla

As a native Ohioan my reflexive reaction to people conflating Cleveland and Cincinnati is remarkably similar to this from the first SNL "All Things Scottish" sketch:

Customer #3: Oh … Irish, Scottish, it’s the same thing.

Stuart Rankin: Oh, it’s the same thing, is it?!? [ whips out a map of Europe and points to it ] HAVE A LOOK AT THE MAP!! THERE’S SCOTLAND! THERE’S IRELAND! THERE’S THE BLOODY SEA!! THEY’RE DIFFERENT, NOW GET OUT!! [ chases her out of the store ] GET OUT! GET OUT, MRS. NO-CAN-READ-A-MAP! GET OUUUUUT!! [ fumes ]

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5f3jzf

I feel that way about conflating Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. And Iowans feel that way about people conflating Iowa and Idaho. One of the t-shirts I regret not being was a stylized image of the Old Capitol, located in Iowa City, ringed by the words, University of Idaho, Ohio City, Iowa

Ah, that's the flyover state* geography version of this t-shirt:

https://www.getdigital.eu/OMG-it-is-R2D2.html

*On the principle that I can make leprechaun jokes because my dad's an Irish citizen, I can make flyover state jokes because I'm a Buckeye by nurture.