Rough Stuff Rambling in NE, Wednesday 18 March

I had no grand plans for a big adventure this mid-week, since there was A LOT I wanted to accomplish on my days off. (Did I get a lot done? Enough for now.) And since I'm leading the Three Speed Ride on Saturday, I'm going to get a "big" ride no matter what. But I...

Catching the Holiday Express

Every holiday season, from Thanksgiving weekend until about a week before Christmas, the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation runs the Holiday Express excursion train. The train runs along the old interurban line that parallels the Springwater Corridor, from the north entrance of the OMSI/Springwater Corridor near SE 4th and Stephens (right south of the rail musum) to...

A voteneuring type of Coffeeneuring (No. 5): 4 November 2014

For those of you outside of the United States, yesterday (Tuesday) was Election Day in the Thirteen Colonies Plus Thirty-Seven Other Sub-National Entities. Much of America still embraces the "old school" method of voting, where one goes to an official polling location. Here in Progressive Oregon, we have a complete Vote By Mail system. Ballots...

Three Speed Teaneuring Ride No. 4, 29 October 2014

Man, what a wet weather cycle we've been in this October. From about the second week of October until now (and after now, too), the forecast is pretty much rain. There may be breaks in there, but overall the plan is to expect rain. Once again, my plans for getting "one last camping trip in"...

Leaving the Twin Cities. But first, allow me to vent for a sec.

It's a little after 11 pm Central Time and I'm waiting for the Empire Builder at St. Paul Union Depot to take me home. Besides bike complications and a very soggy Monday, it's been a good trip. But the getting home part has become slightly complicated. And I'm not thrilled. So the Empire Builder is...

Wait…that ain’t your Raleigh Wayfarer.

https://flic.kr/p/npbXab I previously mentioned "shifting issues" with the Raleigh Wayfarer. Long story short: the cable kept on slackening because the pulley was moving. Then I would tighten cable, process would repeat itself, and eventually cause wheel to shift. And then the axle threading stripped, meaning I couldn't tighten the bolts. Not good. The places in...

Post-Pepin update.

It's a rather crappy day day here in Minneapolis, a day consisting of a steady wave of downpours and thunderstorms. So a good time for quick reflection. A longer post will happen when I return home, but lack of desire to be on the internet on my "vacation" will cause that to be delayed. (Not...