Night Ride Video

The Daily Post. Asks. Post something Vibrant

It doesn’t have to show all the colors of the rainbow to be vibrant. But it should say WOW. This was taken by a friend, Peter Pereira

Fairhaven center from unitarian — The Center of Fairhaven Ma. taken from the Unitarian church

A reunion of the retired pro and semi pro soccer players . It was at the Portuguese Sports Club in New Bedford, MA. Around 300 men were in attendance including a State Senator, the Portuguese Consulate, the man next in line for the Chief of Police position in the city to name a few. There were some suits in attendance but most of us were casual. Portuguese food is not conducive to white shirts and ties, because lots of food usually ends up on them. Continue reading “Night Ride Video” →

After The Snow Melts

Back in the saddle on Cape Cod after the first blizzard of 2016

AFTER THE BLIZZARD from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

The Guy Must Have Been Waiting At The Top Of The Street

I’ve had a heck of a time purchasing studded tires so I do get more riding. I only need to get a little over a mile on the bike path, after that, I’m on town and city streets that are bike friendly and maintained. The town doesn’t plow the MUP.

Two bike shops have had to cancel my order because they were out of stock. After scrambling, one will be here on Friday and another tire sometime next week. No problem now, because everything is clear. But more snow and ice is sure to come.

I decided to buy a new bike rack system for my new car. It’s a Thule platform, like the ones you see on the front of the city buses. I also have to have a tow hitch installed. I can’t see myself using it before sometime in March. Here is the irony. I ordered it on Tuesday, online around 3 PM. It arrived at 2:30 PM today, Wednesday. Really, I’m paying a premium to have a bike tire shipped that takes 7-10 days. Yet a 40 lb bike rack with free shipping can get here overnight. I’m figuring the UPS guy must have been parked at the top of my street when the order was put in.

Thule Bike Rack

I did get out on the bike today, riding to some local stores. One of the items was inexpensive bike pedals for winter riding. I have two sided spd pedals on the beater bike, but a wider plastic mountain bike pedal makes much more sense in the winter.

I also do all the cooking in the house and go to the market every day for fresh foods. It’s a mile ride on the MUP and biking is the most logical mode, once it’s passable naturally. I usually ride to the gym for weights, yoga, cardio or tai chi. I only need to walk across a parking lot to the market. Convenient? You bet.

Shopping by bike — Fully loaded after shopping

Clear path after the storm — Clear bike path, four days after a blizzard.

Reminiscing. The Erie Canal Ride Day 3

Day 3: Medina to Fairport

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Sunday July 15, 2012, 62 miles (100 km) – Total so far: 124 miles (200 km)

We arrived in Medina very late last night and had just enough time to set up camp before it got dark. The fire department directed us to a park at the far end of town that gave us a nice secluded campsite. The traffic on the road near our site was just enough to keep up awake most of the night. We all got some sleep, but not much.

Continue reading “Reminiscing. The Erie Canal Ride Day 3” →

Exactly The Same . Just Different

Can’t Stand Me

Play the music while your reading if you wish.

I have a few bike blogging friends who have been riding in the snow for a couple of weeks. I read their stories and shake my head thinking, I’m too old for that and really don’t feel like riding in snow. I tell people that I might if it snowed, but didn’t really mean it. Well, it snowed last night. Continue reading “Exactly The Same . Just Different” →

We Have A Team For The 5 Boroughs

Southcoast bikeway friends — Voices for a Health South Coast Bike Friends.

I have a pretty big network of bike riding friends, both locally, in Southern New England, and not so local, like Seattle, WA, Portland OR , Toronto and Panama City, Panama. Locally, I’m trying my darndest to get the locals to expand their sense of adventure and do something different besides the same old rides, weekend after weekend, year after year. One of those adventures is the NYC Five Boroughs Bike Tour. Continue reading “We Have A Team For The 5 Boroughs” →

A Very Serene Bike Ride

It turned out to be a nice morning and there was a club bike ride scheduled to begin at 10 AM. That was too late for me and since this 25 mile East Bay Bike Path route in Rhode Island was a ride I had done dozens of times, I decide on an earlier start. (And finish). Continue reading “A Very Serene Bike Ride” →

2016 NYC Bike Tour Registration

Registration begins on the 12th at 10 AM. Join team “amidnightrider.com” and come ride with us.

I Love My FedEx Driver

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There was a beautiful box on my front porch when I got home from delivering my peeps. (The bell ringers). My original plan was to go to the show and see one of the newly released movies. When I saw the box, I didn’t even bother to see what was playing.

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It didn’t take long to reassemble the bike as Sol at Austin Bikes took good maintenance_howtoinflateatire_valves_lg care packing and marking everything for me. The tires have schrader valves, so I had to order some new tubes and will pick up or order a rear rack tomorrow. All my pumps have dual valve attachments so for now the bike is ready to roll.

Going Secular

As I began my ride I passed by three ex churches, and decided to make the theme today. the closed churches locally. In the surrounding towns most of the churches, of all denominations, are rapidly closing their doors. Some are in prime locations and are scheduled to be converted to secular uses. Some are in impoverished areas and are wasting away.

There are very few church affiliated schools and other indoctrinating techniques left in many parts of the country. The decline in church membership and religious affiliation has followed. Around here, the churches that are left have very small memberships, who are for the most part, in their 70’s and 80’s. The choice of nearly 5000 gods, makes everyone an atheist who doesn’t believe in the one true god that someone else believes. The younger generation has figured out that religion is not necessary to lead a good life and they realized that churches have become political and fundraising institutions, that more and more of the under 50 crowd want nothing to do with.

Years ago Sunday morning was an easy overtime day for the local police force who got extra duty directing traffic around the many churches in the area. Now, most of the churches have been relegated to gypsy status in small storefronts and run by some guy with a mail order minister title.

The best transition I have seen is outside of Washington DC in Brunswick, MD. called, Beans in the Belfry.