bike

As a bike commuter I’m having a hard time passing this California driver’s license test

It is illegal to park your vehicle in a bicycle lane in California: false.

My New York driver’s license is finally expiring and I need to take a written test on Friday to get a California license. I’ve been perusing the practice tests online, and just can’t get myself to answer this one question correctly. I know it’s illegal to park in a crosswalk, but feels like there should be two correct answers here.

parking in the bike lane

MUNI in the Panhandle

First off, I overheard the police say that no one was seriously hurt. The driver was apparently a little dinged up, but overall this could have been a lot worse. Needless to say the Panhandle is a mess right about now. News crew is on the scene. I feel for the cyclist that happened to put their bike on the front of this MUNI…

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Quick Hack For Plugging Pesky Sized Handlebars

I’ve been using SOMA handlebars for years, and my use of them has lasted the span of two different bicycles. They are great bars that come in comfortable shapes and narrow sizes that I prefer for city riding, but their circumference can be funky. The last bars I owned had a small circumference that wouldn’t fit any standard handlebar plug, which left me with an open metal circle just waiting for the right time to empale. My current handlebars (pictured below) are way too wide, and can’t be plugged up with just any standard bartape plug.

I use Grip Rings in lieu of handlebar tape, which if bought in a pack come with handy little end plugs that can be made wider with the turn of an allen key to snuggly fit most handlebars. Unfortunately, some handlebars, including my current SOMAs, are still too wide.

In the case you find yourself scratching your head because the circumference of your handlebars are “unconventionally” sized too large, here’s a quick hack for making your plugs fit and creating a safer bike to ride.

Step 1: Admit you have a problem…
grip empty

Step 2: Cut up a small piece of gasket rubber to fit inside of your handlebars.
gasket

Step 3: Measure your cropped gasket rubber to make sure it’s a proper fit (no overlapping).
grip gasket out

Step 4: Insert the gasket rubber in the handlebars, making sure it’s flush with the end of the bars.
grip gasket in

Step 5: Plug ’em up! If you have Grip Rings, this will allow you to tighten to fit. If it’s still wide, add another piece of gasket rubber.
grip final

A Cool Thing Happened On My Bike Ride To Work Today

I was waiting at a stoplight on 14th street today when a guy on a bike behind me said, “Hey, can I ask you a quick question. Was that bike stolen off a MUNI bus?”

I wouldn’t normally be excited to have strangers accuse me of being in possession of stolen property, but the bike I was riding, which this guy was referring to when he asked me if it was stolen, looked vaguely similar to my previous bike which was stolen off the front of a MUNI bus on November 6th.

When I told this guy that the bike I was currently riding hadn’t been stolen from a MUNI bus (it was purchased legally from a friend), but that my old bike had indeed been stolen from the front of a MUNI, he said that the PVC tees attached to my frame reminded him of a bike he had read about that had been stolen off MUNI.

The PVC tees are part of a surfboard rack, which were on my old when it was stolen and currently are on my new bike.

doug bikes

You see I was so bummed when my bike was stolen that I took to this little blog to write all about it. Thankfully the good people at Mission Mission, SFist and Uptown Almanac helped me out and did the same. And this guy had read about my stolen bike, remembered it had PVC tees on it, and well over a month after it was taken from me had the good nature to ask a total stranger if he was riding a stolen bike to presumable help out a fellow bicyclist!

While my old bike is still gone, and never coming back, it’s awesome to know that there are people out there (strangers no doubt) still looking out for you.

…and we’re back

bike new

Some dbag stole my bike last month, and I’ve rebuilt anew. I’m riding around on a baby blue frame these days. I considered the bike complete once I got my surfboard rack back on. The new PVC tees are slightly improved with the addition of gasket rubber, which acts as a grippy lining between the bike frame and PVC. I’ve been riding 6-foot and smaller boards these days, but I think I could get heavier (longer) boards on the bike if I wanted with this slight upgrade.

gasket rubber

tee rubber

A Cautionary Tale About Putting Your Bike On A MUNI Bus

I was enjoying some after work drinks on Election Night when I decided I had one too many to safely ride my bike home. I put my bike on the front rack of an outbound #71 at Market and 2nd, and took a seat on the front of the bus. I was on the sixth seat back, and had a decent view of my bike. The next stop was Stockton and we pulled up to a red light. As people were boarding the bus I had my head down until the driver called out that someone was taking my bike. By the time I stood up my bike was gone. I ran off the bus and headed back down Market assuming the thief was riding off in that direction but I couldn’t see anything among the lights of Market Street rush hour traffic.

So long bike.

I like to believe that everything happens for a reason, so hopefully my shitty experience will prevent other people from having their bicycles jacked on a bus. Never take your eye off your bike, and if you can throw a u-lock around the tire and frame before you put it on the rack.

I’m not optimistic about getting my bike back, but if you see it on craigslist or at a flea market please don’t buy it. It’s just a bike, but I liked it very much. Here’s what it looked like when it was stolen: