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Bill Bikes My bicycling expeditions and jaunts |
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Sebastopol, November 2018
Tea, deathtrap, and cyclisk: A Photographic Log
3 November 2018, 31 miles
I had three items on my agenda for today, two of them far more pleasant than the other one:
- Quaff a cup of tea (and wolf down a scone) in Sebastopol in order to make progress (ride number five out of seven) in the Coffeeneuring Challenge at Cycle365
- Stop and pay my respects at the intersection in Santa Rosa where a bicyclist died beneath the wheels of a dump truck a few days ago
- Photograph an objet d'art in accordance with the Challenge of the Month for November: outdoor art
Mission accomplished.
PS: Haven't been on the Sirrus lately, so I brushed off the dust, pumped up the tires, and took it out for a little fresh air. The Long Haul Trucker languishes upstairs on the trainer.
Tea and Sirrus at Taylor Maid Organic Coffee at the Barlow in Sebastopol.
They recently changed the name to Taylor Lane Organic Coffee.
At the intersection of the Joe Rodota Trail, Stony Point Road, and the on/off ramps for Highway 12—right here, where the lead rider is about to cross the busy road—a 20-year-old woman on a bicycle was run over and killed by a dump truck a few days ago. The driver says the bicyclist must have pulled out in front of him. No witnesses. No surveillance video. No dash cam.
Having crossed here on two wheels many times, I can say from experience that traffic tends to speed up the ramp and turn right (southbound; toward the camera) on Stony Point, taking advantage of "right on red" while looking left for oncoming traffic rather than looking right toward the crosswalk.
Surprisingly, no spontaneous community memorial here for the young lady.
I took the long way around and crossed this mess on the pedestrian overpass because I wanted to ride a few blocks down Santa Rosa Avenue.
Also, the overpass has an enjoyable spiral ramp at each end.
The bicycle obelisk, known as the Cyclisk, on Santa Rosa Avenue.
It's 65 feet tall and constructed entirely of parts from more than 300 junked bikes.
Parts is parts.
See any useful components?
Let me know, and I can probably manage a little surreptitious "pick and pull" under cover of darkness if anyone needs anything.
The Cyclisk.
Summary
Date: 3 November 2018
Time: 9:30 - 12:30
Weather: 55-80° F, sunny
Route: Out Greenway to Sebastopol, back via Joe Rodota Trail and Sebastopol Road to the obelisk
Distance: 31 miles
Bike: Specialized Sirrus
Riders: Solo
Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd like to hear from you.
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