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Category Archives: Transportation

“Time Out”

12 Dec

As wonderful as San Francisco always is, getting out of the city and into the countryside is always a welcome, and in these parts usually beautiful, event.  Such was the case on this gray yet dry day, on a group motorcycle ride heading north.

A touch of Indiana, a glimpse of Wisconsin, a slice of upstate New York, and even a little piece of Maryland.  All of these places flashed through my mind as we rode on two-lane roads through the wide-open regions of Marin and Sonoma Counties.  For the diversity of topography throughout the relatively small area we covered, I did indeed experience moments of feeling as if I were in other parts of the country altogether!

Our ride destination today:  Dillon Beach.  This very tiny coastal town does not even have a gas station.  (Trust me, I know this, as my tank was bone dry by the time we reached the nearest place to fill up.)  Nonetheless, it was truly wonderful on this day to feel so far from, yet so close to, San Francisco.  I highly recommend Dillon Beach as a day trip for anyone who wants some “time out” of the city for a few hours, while enjoying some gorgeous countryside.

Then of course, this was a day back on my motorcycle, at last!  It’s hard to believe that from my bike’s one-year anniversary on November 1 until today, I rode a total of only about 150 miles.  Then today alone, we put on roughly 135.  I’m always happy to be back in my motorized saddle, especially when the roads are dry.  Today was the ideal day for a relaxing and rewarding excursion.

 
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Posted by on December 12, 2010 in Daily Activities, Motorcycle

 

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Why The Prius?

07 Dec

I don’t like it, and I don’t get it.

Just what is it exactly about the Toyota Prius that so many drivers seem to like so much?  Don’t say fuel economy, because there are plenty of car models out there, more and more every year, hybrid and not, that get excellent mileage.  So if that’s what you’re after, you certainly have a multitude of options.

I’ve watched seemingly sane and otherwise tasteful individuals trade in their beautiful, stylish, luxury automobiles, in exchange for the funny-looking, uninspiring Prius.  Sadly, this includes a member of my own family.  Gladly, in turn, my opinion has not gone unexpressed.  In any case, downgrading to a Prius is a truly painful event to hear, let alone see!

Still, I’m an open-minded man.  Yes, I am!  As a close friend of mine initiated the same aforementioned downgrade for herself, I’ve had direct access to one of these oversized golf carts.  As such, I’ve recently taken the opportunity, more than once in fact, to find out just what exactly is all the rage.

Is the “car” on?  Oh, it is.  I need to back up now; how do I put this thing in reverse?  Ah ha, I have to push this little stub upward.  Interesting.  Is there anyone behind me?  Gee, this one’s a toughie, as I can’t see much out the very slanted and obstructed rear window.  I’ll take my chances.  Ok now, where’s drive?  Over and down?  I would not have naturally guessed that.  Finally, let’s punch it!  Wow, this poor little engine is really screaming to keep up with my heavy foot!  Now, freeway speed:  Is this all this thing can do?  Let’s stop at the nearest saloon and take a break.  So to shift into park… Oh, I have to push a button instead?  How would I know to do that?

My conclusion:  The Toyota Prius is confusing, unexciting, and grossly underpowered.  Surrounding visibility is limited, if not absent altogether.  The various electronic indicators built into the cavernous dash strike me as uninteresting and unimportant.  The seats do not seem to want to welcome anyone for any long duration.  And most of all, looking at the car as a whole:  It’s just ugly.  Something positive now, for balance?  Well, I’m told it gets good gas mileage.

I don’t get it.  Why the Prius is so popular?  After this many years on the road, is it still a political statement of any kind?  Do “greenness,” conservation and practicality come with the purchase of a Prius, somehow making the owner feel better about his carbon footprint?  Who knows.  In any case, the Prius seems obviously designed for those completely uninterested in, or oblivious to, any sort of driving performance.

I don’t like it.  Did I say this already?

And that’s my opinion.

 
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Posted by on December 7, 2010 in And That's My Opinion, Cars

 

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8 Always Beats 6

03 Dec

I drove two different 8-cylinder SUVs for a combined period of more than twelve years. For almost the past four years, I’ve driven my 6-cylinder 4Runner.

Today, I towed the above U-Haul trailer with my 4Runner, marking the first time I’ve done so with this vehicle. Naturally, this brings back memories of the numerous occasions on which I towed the same-sized U-Haul trailer with one of my long-departed 8-cylinder engines.

I’ve always missed driving an 8-cylinder vehicle, and today I missed it 100 times over. I still made it to my destination comfortably and in good time; I simply noticed the difference and did not enjoy it. As such, even if I tow a U-Haul only once every four years, it’s worth it to me to have all eight cylinders for the occasion.  This fully loaded 5×8 trailer caused my gas mileage on this trip to drop to about 15 MPG from my 6-cylinder’s usual highway 20 MPG.  I was still doing about the same speed with the trailer as I would without.  No doubt the mileage would be all the worse with 8 cylinders, but so be it.

I purposely downsized once, and once is enough. I look forward to returning to what I once had, because of course, 8 always beats 6!

 
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Posted by on December 3, 2010 in Cars, Daily Activities

 

A Cycling Reality

29 Nov

It really was an idiotic fluke, getting my bicycle wheel caught in a train track.  I mean, for the thousands upon thousands of miles I’ve ridden over the course of the past decade, managing train tracks is nothing unusual.  I suppose it’s one thing to pass over them perpendicularly and quickly, while it’s another to ride parallel to them when they’re flush with the pavement.  The latter, of course, describes much of San Francisco!

The aforementioned fluke occurred in the blink of an eye last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.  Both my eyes and my bicycle must have strayed long enough for my front wheel to “fall into the groove” so to speak, a groove I very much knew was there.  One second I was up, the next second my body was skidding across pavement, and after a few more seconds I was up on my feet, dusting myself off and examining my bike, as well as myself, for any damage.

Fortunately, my bicycle seemed to emerge unscathed.  Neither tire went flat, the chain and gears were in tact, and all I had to do was bend my left brake lever back into place.  Not a problem.

The only problem was one I knew from experience was going to affect me for several days to come, this being my palm-sized road rash on my right hip.  Why, I asked myself, do I always fall to my right?  This is certainly not the first abuse my right side has taken, as I’ve naturally endured my share of cycling mishaps, as most any cyclist has.  I simply think my right side might appreciate my left side taking some of the burden.

I’m not one to make a loud fuss about my various bangs, bruises and abrasions, but this time hurt just a little more than the others.  Nevertheless, I continued on with my ride last Wednesday and reached my intended destination.

Now, here on Monday, I’m FINALLY ready to let my road rash start to heal properly.  After a long Thanksgiving weekend of trying some ineffective and detrimental remedies, limping around like an old man, and withstanding the soreness that comes from the constant rubbing of denim, leather, nylon and bedding, I visited this very helpful cycling link and read up all about road rash.  After all, it’s a common and expected cycling reality.

The keyword is TELFA, for any of you who have been or will be dealing with this matter yourself.  I now have plenty of it on hand, more than I’ll probably need this time around.  As such, I’ll simply save what I have for next time, which hopefully won’t be TOO soon.

 
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Posted by on November 29, 2010 in Cycling

 

A Four-Wheel Day

24 Nov

As far as auto shows around the country go, and I’ve been to many over the years, San Francisco’s is small.  The advantage:  Attendance is relatively low, especially on a weekday.  This means you can spend some good, quality time with most of your favorite makes and models, while even having intelligent and informative conversations with representatives who seem happy to assist you.  Add to this, neither having to fight for the driver’s seats with unsavory gawkers, nor being forced to circumvent misbehaved children darting every which way.  The disadvantage:  Many models are absent from the floor, and some makers appear to be no-shows altogether.

The San Francisco Auto Show at the Moscone Center, for the less-than-a-movie entrance fee of $9, is a pleasant way for any car enthusiast to spend a couple hours of a weekday afternoon.  This, despite the absence of a convertible TT, an A5 cabriolet, any 6-Series, and Mercedes-Benz!  That’s right… there was absolutely no Mercedes-Benz product at this show this year.  This was quite a surprising discovery, which I confirmed by asking.  I’d certainly like to know the reason for MBZ’s conspicuous absence, as there has to be one.

Up against a red S5, a hot chocolate Cooper, the not-before-seen 9-5 sedan, and the new Fiat 500, the title of my personal favorite is awarded to the $139K Porsche Panamera Turbo.  Having seen this unique sedan a few times on the streets of Los Angeles, I today sat inside one for the first time.  Suffice to say, I was impressed, more so than I was with most of the other predictable offerings on the Moscone Center floor.

My favorite of the day.

Once you’ve had your car fill, here’s what you do:  You trot on over to the corner of 5th and Howard, to The Chieftain, an “authentic Irish Pub.”  You use your Murphy’s Stout to wash down your delicious “Spicy Irish Potato Bites” and then call it a day!  I mean, after beautiful new cars and a lively Irish Pub, how much better can your day get?

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2010 in Cars, Restaurants

 

Washed Out

20 Nov

A complete washout.  This describes my Saturday of absolutely no cycling.  I had every intention of riding this morning, as usual, but the rain stepped in and decided otherwise.  It’s now raining very heavily here in the City, complete with thunder and lightning, and I love it! 

So in lieu of pedaling off calories today, I chilled.  While doing some online exploring, I came across this very entertaining image :

Need I say more?

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2010 in Current Events, Cycling

 

Cycling for Pay

19 Nov

The past couple days have added a unique experience to my cycling credentials.  I just finished up a two-day gig with Team Cycad, for a client-specific event in downtown San Francisco.

Considering my current professional life of freelance media and PR-related jobs, combined with my ongoing desire to be outdoors and physically active, this was a win-win situation for the most part.  Twelve hours of pedaling certainly yielded a few advantages, not the least of which is the decent amount of cash now in my pocket.

I spent these last two days cycling, while getting paid to do so!  All in all, this is a pretty damn good deal, if I say so myself.  Granted, the particular route for this client was rather slow-paced, with a lot of typical city stop-and-go.  While some calories were no doubt burned, the loops became rather dull by the ends of the day.  Still, the overall experience was worth the time, exercise and money.

If you’re interested in such an opportunity for yourself, check out Team Cycad and ask if there’s anything going on in your city.  This happens to have been the company’s very first event in San Francisco, but I’m told there could be more before too long.  As such, cycling for pay could come again!

 
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Posted by on November 19, 2010 in Cycling, Daily Activities

 

A Mountain Escape

14 Nov

So close, yet seeming so far away.  Surrounded by towering redwood trees, a lush green open meadow, and even a small pond of some sort, you might momentrily feel as I did today.  That is, you might think you’re in Mammoth, or Yosemite, or perhaps some far-reaching section of Washington State.  But no.

Today took our group less than 40 miles south of San Francisco, to the well-known outdoor biker-dominated eatery known as Alice’s, at  Hwys 84 & 35 in the mountain town of Woodside, nestled in the tree-lined terrain between Hwy 280 and the Pacific Ocean.

Today was a Homoto Motorcycle Club ride.  That’s who I mean when I refer to “our group.”  About a dozen of us took off from the Castro, headed south on Hwy 1 through Half Moon Bay, then West on 84 to our lunching destination.  We passed several people riding the kind of bike I myself was riding yesterday, as in the kind that burns calories!  After throttling past all those hard-working bicyclists, our motorcycles arrived to Alice’s parking lot to join all the others.  Fortunately there were tables for us, roomy picnic tables in fact, out on the back desk overlooking that green open meadow I mentioned.

Alice’s menu is plentiful and thorough.  It took me a few minutes to decide between a breakfast item or one of the numerous listed burgers.  I opted for the former, and fortunately the sizable portion managed to satisfy my demanding appetite.  The passion iced tea is a fine choice to wash it all down, unless you go for a very attractive $5.95 bloody mary, which in this particular instance I did not.  Nevertheless, Alice’s offers a full bar that clearly calls out to any thirsty passer-by on any day of the week!  I’ll be sure to go back and sample the bar before too long, perhaps when I’m not traveling via motorcycle.

Booze or iced tea, breakfast or lunch, Alice’s is full of life and energy all its own.  I highly recommend this quick mountain escape to anyone looking for a short change of scene.

 
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Posted by on November 14, 2010 in Daily Activities, Motorcycle, Restaurants, Reviews

 

Recording My Ride: Garmin vs. iPhone

13 Nov

As it turns out, I cycled 44.6 miles this morning.  This is according to my old, outdated Garmin GPS device.  Recording the same ride simultaneously on my iPhone GPS application, the grand total came to 41.2 miles.  My conclusion:  I trust Garmin and I’m going with Garmin’s number.  The iPhone is subject, of course, to AT&T’s spotty signals.  When riding through mountainous, wooded areas, these signals are sure to fail, as is revealed by this morning’s route map.

I certainly did not ride in a perfectly straight line from Alpine Road to Hwy 92.  This indicates that my iPhone was not logging exact GPS data during this time.  The application did, however, “catch up” to my updated location when I pulled the phone out of my pocket to check on it.  My second conclusion:  The iPhone GPS application is smart, but unfortunately at the mercy of AT&T’s poor signals.  Garmin, it seems, is still the way to go.

Technology aside, the morning was beautiful, the weather was clear, the pavement was smooth and dry, and the pace lines of cyclists were steady and strong.  More days like this on a regular basis, and I’ll be back in top cycling form in no time!

 
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Posted by on November 13, 2010 in Cycling, Daily Activities, Transportation

 

Better Than Nothing

10 Nov

My cycling within the city limits of San Francisco continues to expand.  As such, I may need to amend my earlier assertion that one must go north or south of the city in order to get a decent ride in.  Mind you, one must indeed leave the city for any long distance, as San Francisco itself is of limited geographical area.  Still, I’m slowly discovering that I can both spin and challenge my legs within city limits, without having to come to a stop at every block.

Golden Gate Park often reminds me of New York’s Central Park, considering the nicely paved roads that more or less follow the perimeter.  A few laps around the length of this sizeable area will certainly help log the mileage, free of heavy traffic or constant stop signs.

Then there’s the mostly straight stretch along the bike path from the base of the Golden Gate Bridge toward Fort Mason.  Here too a cyclist can achieve some good speed and cadence.  Continuing east and south will lead into Fishermen’s Wharf and the Embarcadero, respectively.  This, however, is where the stop and go begins.  And from there, moving into the city from the shoreline, the stop and go will no doubt continue.

All things considered, a cyclist can crank out a decent and satisfying 20-mile loop around San Francisco in a short amount of time.  It’s certainly not the same as 50-60 miles up into Marin or down through Woodside, but in terms of training and overall cycling fitness, it’s better than nothing!

 
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Posted by on November 10, 2010 in Cycling, Daily Activities

 

Amazing Deja Vu!

09 Nov

This 1989 560 SL has 90 miles on the odometer.

While out on a short bicycle ride around the city this morning, I was stopped in my tracks by a beautiful sight:  A red 560 SL in the showroom window of Mercedes-Benz of San Francisco.  I thought to myself:  “Wow, a 560 SL from the late 1980s has been restored to showroom quality and is now for sale.  I must investigate!”

Mind you, a 560 SL is the car I’ve always wanted and still want, a red one in fact!  (I prefer black interior, however, to this car’s creme beige.)  SLs are always for sale, of course, in various stages of abuse and deterioration.  For one all polished up and on showroom display, I figured the condition of this one must not be all that bad, and the mileage perhaps not too high.

Late this afternoon, I was standing over this timeless classic in both awe and surprise.  The awe, of course, goes without saying, because I adore a red SL, especially in mint condition.  The surprise came with the discovery that Bobby Ewing’s wheels are NOT for sale, and more than this, that they’ve never seen the open road!  This is not a case of only-20K-miles never-been-driven; I mean, literally, this red-on-creme 21-year-old has really never been driven!  The odometer reads 90 miles.  This car has never been registered.  It has belonged to the owner of the dealership, apparently, ever since it arrived in his inventory 21 years ago.  The original invoice is still taped to the window, indicating all of the SL’s features, along with 1989’s grand price total of $65K and some change.

This experience threw me into an odd yet wonderful time warp.  Recalling my many trips to Mercedes-Benz dealers as a teen, I felt now as if I were back in 1989.  Here was this gorgeous German machine, fresh off the assembly line and ready for a home.  I recall the days of looking at this exact same model when it was brand new, and here today the moment returned, most unexpectedly and certainly most uniquely.  Amazing deja vu, to say the least!

This SL is said to be among the owner’s personal collection, with a sign next to it reading:  “For display only.”  I don’t blame him.  After all, 1989 was the final production year of this famous and beloved body style that was born in 1972.  Then of course, as the saying goes, “everything is for sale at the right price.”  I wonder what the right price is in this case.

 
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Posted by on November 9, 2010 in Cars, Daily Activities, Mercedes-Benz

 

Two Wheels Sans Motor

08 Nov

Yesterday morning greeted me with not just an additional hour of time, about which I had forgotten, but also a significant amount of rain.  It ended up raining for most of the day in San Francisco, creating one very wet Sunday for all.

I enjoy rain and usually welcome it, as I did yesterday.  The downside, however, was that this surprise downpour steered me away from adding to the challenging bicycle mileage I logged the day before.  Saturday morning was an absolutely beautiful time for the weekly Alto Velo Club ride.  This was my second Saturday with this group of riders, starting and ending in Los Altos.  I’ve been on the search for a local bicycle racing group to replace La Grange in Los Angeles, and so far Alto Velo is filling the void.  As the weeks progress, and as my personal level of cycling fitness hopefully returns to a higher level, I’m looking forward to getting to know this club all the more.

As wonderful as San Francisco is in so many ways, it’s not a city for any good amount of performance cycling.  Riders might meet somewhere in the city, but from there typically comes an immediate dash across the Golden Gate into Marin and beyond, where terrific routes abound.  The Peninsula is another great area for pedal power, as cyclists flock to the back roads and twisty climbs of Woodside, hitting Skyline Boulevard and often continuing on to the coast.  While many exciting cycling options weave themselves around the Bay Area, none of them appears to exist in San Francisco itself.  I’ve done a few short jaunts around the city just to spin my legs, say 12 to 15 miles, and of course this is better than nothing.  However, when it comes to longer and more serious training, it’s going to happen either to the north or to the south.

Here’s a link to a map of my 30-mile ride this past Saturday, created via the GPS application on my iPhone.  I would have gone the full distance with the group, about twice as far, had I not needed to turn back early.  I needed to get to a different kind of bike appointment, this one pertaining to my other game, as in the one with a motor.  This Saturday, weather, work and home permitting, I’m hoping to go the day’s full distance with Alto Velo.  As I realized on this last ride, out of peak cycling shape as I currently am, two wheels sans motor is still my main game!

 
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Posted by on November 8, 2010 in Cycling, Daily Activities

 

One Year on Two Wheels

01 Nov

Happy Birthday Red!

Another Halloween, complete with all the usual revelry, has come and gone.  This is the first day of November, the one-year anniversary of my motorcycle ownership, and a seemingly appropriate day to get my new blog underway.

I’ve been in San Francisco now for one week.  This is to say, more than one week has now passed since I moved out of my Encino residence, put most of my belongings in storage, and drove up I-5 to the City by the Bay.  In the past week I’ve applied to numerous job openings, gone to the gym, ridden my bicycle and my motorcycle, taken a day trip to Monterey and back to see some family members, and contemplated various elements of tomorrow’s election.  I had an interview rescheduled, I received a paycheck, I did a bit of cooking, I attended my first club bicycle ride in the area, and I took a look at a living space for rent, all while enjoying the company of a friend who’s welcomed me into his home for the time being.  Suffice to say, this is my new life, or at least the latest chapter thereof.  While the immediate future is uncertain, I’m excited to be here.

Exactly one year ago, on November 1, 2009, I purchased the mode of transportation I continue to love more and more everyday.  I took ownership of a red 2006 Suzuki SV650S, which on this day one year ago read 6,801 miles on its odometer.  Today the same odometer reads 18,103 miles.  In the past twelve months, my motorcycle has carried me 11,302 miles, or almost 942 miles per month.  As I recall, I’d had the bike for six months before hitting my 3,000-mile mark.  My second six months obviously saw a lot more ride time than my first six months did, thanks to the fact that I simply got a lot more used to what I was doing.  I’m happy to report, today, that motorcycling feels natural, and of course a lot of fun!  It’s been a long and interesting path for me, along the road of motorcycle education.  I certainly have a lot of this road yet to travel, but I’m pleased to be able to look back on the distance I’ve come thus far.  On the first day of “motorcycle year two,” the machine between my legs does not frighten me to the extent it did one year ago.  I’m confident, but, to make the important distinction, not overconfident.  I’m looking forward to bettering and expanding my skills in year two, while continuing, each and every day, to enjoy the ride.

Halloween, here and gone, again.  Always a day of craziness and merriment it is!  I’m thrilled to have celebrated Halloween 2010 here in San Francisco, on my motorcycle no less!  My two wheels may now rest.  My job interview tomorrow is a short walk away.

 
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Posted by on November 1, 2010 in Daily Activities, Motorcycle

 
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