Graf and the City

Every morning when I get on the 7 train to head into work I take a quick glance out the west window just before the southbound train turns west and heads into the tunnel at Hunter's Point. The glance is to catch my favorite view of the city. This picture - taken by a brilliant photographer who lives near me - grabs it pretty much perfectly.

Part of what makes that my favorite view is that it includes a completely graffitied wharehouse called 5 Pointz - a living/studio joint for graffiti artists. The building is doused in amazing artwork and it's always got new stuff painted over the old. Finding the new is like playing an urban art game of Where's Waldo.

The Times had a little story about the old graffiti wars (between the city and the taggers) today which is worth reading. I missed the years of the coated train car, but the building art is welcome relief from the overdeveloped urban assault on the eyes.

sounds like a symphony

I had a slightly longer than usual commute this morning on account of eating breakfast on the upper east side. So instead of the usual 1.5 miles down 2nd Avenue, I had about 2.5 miles. That may seem trivial, but the extra mile on a straight street gave me time to notice something that I do.

I randomly ring my little bell sometimes as I'm wisking around cars or sweeping across three or four lanes to avoid a congestion. I also sometimes mimic car horn patterns with my bell. So if a taxi honks at me with a beep beep beeeeep - I'll shoot back with a ding ding diiiing as I float out of his lane and into the next.

It's all a dance. And maybe only fixed-gear riders know this, but when you get your groove on, the street sounds like a symphony.

Best Screen in Times Square

Times Square can be a pretty annoying place. It is packed with people, which isn't so bad, unless you want to cross the street to get lunch. It is packed with exhaust, which isn't so bad, unless you know what real air smells like. But worst of all, it is packed with ads. I can't think of a scenario where ads aren't annoying.

There is however, one sign which I look forward to seeing every so often. The video screens outside of the Quicksilver store. They actually have someone doing something other than looking cosmetically enhanced.

I came out of the subway last week and they had loaded some new video content onto the screen. There is a two or three minute segment of Tony Hawk doing some really smooth stuff. There is a short sequence of this one fella doing some nice simple filp tricks that just look good and are not overblown. Then there is a treat for the old school among us - a four or five minute section of a guy having a really long run in a series of pools. It is really nice to watch.

The Widowmaker

OK, I'm now convinced this was no fluke. I first noticed this particular wind about two weeks ago when I was coming across the Queensboro into Manhattan. I ran into the same wind twice last week and it was there again this morning. That rises, for me anyway, to the level of reportable.

So there is this wind that sometimes blows west to east across the East River. I'm going to call it the Widowmaker - it's that evil!

In the mornings I head east on this little avenue in Queens and then do a u-turn to begin the mile-long climb over the Queensboro. On Widowmaker mornings I can feel it as soon as I turn around at the base of the bridge. "Oh no - not that again," is now the viceral response. I can't wait until I get to the "Bring it on" stage. A few weeks maybe.

Anyhow, this is one of those winds that is very thick - you can't slip through it. I scoot to the left, I scoot to the right, it's there. The impulse to get off and walk comes about half way up - at which point walking would probably be faster. Three quarters of the way up I start to get cotton mouth symptoms. Four fifths of the way my quads are in Dantes inferno, all sort of liquids and gasps are seeping out of my face and I'm barley going fast enough stay upright. I'm out of the saddle, I'm in the saddle, I'm in the same place I was 2 seconds ago, the wind is hell-bent on pushing me reverse.

I finally make it to the level part of the bridge, which now feels like a hill and I feel like collapsing on the handlebars. I look over at some flags in Manhattan and they are hanging lifelessly. "LIARS!"

A new PR

Most PRs have to do with a best time, but today I had a different sort. I made it from home to work - Queens to Time Square - without taking my feet off of the pedals and without a break in pedaling.

I love that sort of PR because it's a planning ahead and think on your feet (seat) PR. When I see a red light coming - slow the cadence - or when I see a crosswalk sign indicating an imminent light change - speed the cadence.

So the next trick is a time PR without taking my feet off of the pedals. Stay tuned.

Ordinary People and the Biting Biters who Bite Them

Mike Tyson move over. Check out this crazy fella. I ride the seven train to and from Manhattan every so often. Now I'll be keeping an eye out for biting biters with an especially crazy and bloodthirsty look in their eye.

Sissy Stores

There is something strange going on in Time Square these days. It's the sporting good stores, they're getting really wierd. Ever since I've been up here I've been looking to buy one of those little supplement/waterbottle combos. You know, buy a pound of CytoMax and get the free waterbottle that comes along with it. I usually like these deals because the waterbottles are generally oversized and make for a good office companion so I can hydrate while in meetings.

Here's the rub. None of the sporting goods store in or around Time Square (and there are at least six of them) sell any sporting goods. It's really bizarre - I can get a pair of 1984 Jordan's or a pair of Adidas with no laces (like Run DMC) but not a single item that pertains to actual exercise or sport.

So, at the risk of looking like a sissy, I humbled myself and bought a water bottle from Starbucks. Pale green.

NYC Public Transit

Since I've moved to New York (about a week ago now) I've found that getting around is really easy. These folks have trains and buses going every which way and you can get an unlimited subway pass for $21 a week. That's so cheap compared to DC, were you can't even buy a weekly pass. If you could buy one, it would cost something like $40 or $50, based on the partial day unlimited pass. But even with all of these affordable transit options, I still prefer my bike.

I found this puppy on eBay a few months ago. There is a fellow on there from Southern California who gets some good old-school bike and sells them pretty cheap. His username is cino59 if you're in the market. The only trouble I'm having here is getting over the Queensboro Bridge. The chainring on the front is a little too big for me (50) and that bridge is quite a climb - especially going from Manhattan to Queens. I think I need something smaller.