D&F 7/02/23

Yesterday was long! I rode my first century (160km/100mi) but timed it poorly with the hottest day of 2023 in the Bay Area so far. Hours 3-5 were rough, with my ride taking me through exposed valley roads, pummeled by the sun above and the radiant heat below. I thought more than once about quitting, but I made it to Point Reyes Station for chips and a gallon of water, then Lagunitas for a sandwich and a rest. From there, it was a little brutal until I got to Fairfax. Two beers and a long feet-up rest changed my ride for the better, as the foot pain that plagued me for the previous 2 hours disappeared as my body cooled and my feet shrank. The final 30km were almost relaxing. Fairfax to Emeryville is a journey I’m very familiar with, and mostly takes place on dedicated cycling infrastructure or ample separated lanes. After leaving my house around 12:30, I returned home by 10pm, downing electrolytes and fish tacos in a fugue state.

I figured a century would be challenging, but I’d done 70-80 mile rides a number of times before with no issue. Heat changed everything, and next time I either need to leave earlier or later to avoid the midday sun. Another lesson I learned is to bring way more water than I expected. I got anxious about my diminishing bottles in the valley, despite bringing nearly two liters, and a little tea stand was my savior. I’ll bring a 2L bladder on my 200k next weekend for sure.

Even if you’re not a big bike rider, I really recommend going on a longer-than you’ve-ever-done bike ride somewhere this year. You have so much time to think through life’s challenges, and learn about your body and its strength.

But you’re not just here for my ramblings, you’re also here for…

Links

• I’ve lived in the bay since 2018, and despite it being the second best transit behind New York in the US, it’s still pretty grim compared to modern cities in Europe and Asia. This essay helped explain why we’re still struggling. Like many issues in the US it’s down to a mixture of poor management, bureaucracy, and a lot of pressure from lobbyists, car companies, and anti-human interests. I really hope at some point in my life the US catches up with the rest of the world on transit and urban planning, but it looks increasingly likely that in order to live somewhere that cares about pedestrians and cyclists I’ll need to emigrate.
• Obviously I love bicycles, and advocate for their use (ebikes too!) for everyone over cars, but even bikes are subject to sustainability issues due to the environmental cost of manufacturing, and a prevalence of “bike-shaped objects” that are poorly made and semi-disposable. This article explains the comparative costs and impact of different materials and transit options, and really underlines how a good steel bike is the best.
• Much like fixed-gear bikes,Vice magazine and tv were a feature in my early to mid twenties, and it’s funny that with it completely falling apart, the only spin-off to continue is a racist group of sad boys.
• As a primarily English-speaking person, I hadn’t spent a lot of time wondering how many sites cater to my language, but the reality is shocking. English so thoroughly dominates the internet. I’m curious if Hindi or Mandarin have a larger presence in places like Meta or Baidu that aren’t indexed in this article, but it’s increasingly clear that at least for the first number of decades on the web, English is the lingua franca.
• Finally, this weekend marks the anniversary of the death of Google Reader. I wonder how many people online even remember or used this ill-fated app? At this point, the only people really bemoaning its loss seem to be a couple of journalists, or the sort of person who only knows how to use Google products and doesn’t realize RSS is an open technology and there are many, many, many outstanding RSS services and apps. At least no one misses Buzz.

Closing

My body is toast today, so after I hit send on this email, I’m laying back down and watching the rest of the Austrian GP race. With Formula 1, the Giro Donne, and the Tour de France all talking place, my weekends are full of rubber on tarmac, and I’m stoked. Enjoy your sort-of long weekend, even if “freedom” seems to be further away each year, space cowgirls~