Friday, June 15, 2012

Bikecast: Castles and a mishap

24 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your flat. Do you generally bring a spare? I know nothing of biking, and I am not sure if that was just a quip about 'not even bringing a spare', or if you seriously just forgot.
    Does the typewriter stay on the handle bars as you ride, or is there a secondary pouch? I know I have read these sort of posts from you before, but I cannot recall.

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    1. I was careless and didn't think to bring a spare inner tube (which easily folds up and can be stashed in the bag between the handlebars). I use two bungees to strap the typewriter on top of that bag, and that's where it stays as I ride along, getting some queer and bemused looks.

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    2. Ah, alright. Again, never really rode a bike except when I was a kid. I'm guessing you'll be bringing two inner tubes next time around. :D.
      That is so neat that the typewriter actually stays strapped to the handlebars. Very very clever. I can only imagine people's faces when they realize it's a typewriter. Good way to plant the seeds of the resistance, to be sure.

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  2. I enjoy your bike blogging, as it's interesting for a European to have a nose around some bits of America I wouldn't normally see. I never thought Cincinnati was so interesting - but now I know.

    BTW you don't need to carry a spare inner tube, you can get away with a tube repair kit. A roadside repair doesn't take long if you know what to do; I have had plenty of practice. I remember having to use mine on a bike trip up the Vale of Pewsey one summer evening a few years ago, just as I was cycling around Alton Barnes. (Look it up on Wikipedia.)

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    1. Thanks! I should really learn how to use a repair kit. The Vale of Pewsey looks like lovely cycling country.

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  3. Cool! Your hot rod Tower Chieftain is the perfect typer for your summer bikecasts. The flat is a bummer though. How far was the walk home?

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    1. Probably about 4 miles. It did get hot in the sun!

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  4. Flats happen. I always have a pump and some patches and tire tools on the bike. At least you did not do as I did last time I left the pavement for the grass and back. Well there was a good point. It got me typing and typewriter collecting.

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    1. Sounds like there's a story there to be told, Bill. I am curious.

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    2. Besides scrapes and bruises a broken left hand.

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  5. Gad...I haven't had White Castle in about 25 years. I remember when they were 14 cents. Last time I had one they were in the 30's.
    How does the typewriter change the handling of the bike? I know when my basket is full it's a little slushy, so I hang mine on the side and sit down to type.

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    1. Sliders are still under a dollar.

      The typewriter makes the handlebars a bit heavier, obviously, but normally you don't notice it.

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  6. I I used to ride an awful lot. Not for a while though. I love the feel of this piece! You've captured the meandering observations of riding well.

    To that end, I can't help. But giggle a bit at your white castle postings. My only exposure to 'white castle' has been through the Harold and Kumar movie.

    Sounds like you had a great day though.

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  7. You've inspired me to start biking... but not with a typewriter (I don't own enough of them to risk one).
    That's a very beautiful city there. I've only had the opportunity to visit it for a weekend while doing a signing, so I didn't get to sightsee at all. But what little I did see was lovely. It's too bad there's so much tying me down here in California, otherwise I'd seriously consider moving.

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  8. What a beautiful city! By the looks of it, it has a very good infrastructure for ciclists and pedestrians, something you'd hardly see down here. And the idea of carrying the typewriter on the handlebar is fantastic!

    XD I wonder if you could be fined if you were seen "texting and driving"... XD

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  9. Richard: A nice meander! Hooking the Tower Bikecaster to the handle bars must be an art. I wouldn't waste time with the repair kit. The cement and patch take time to dry. Inner tubes aren't that expensive. Carry the inner tube and just toss the old one (in an "ecologically" acceptable manner, of course!).

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  10. Small note: I love the "quotes" around that whole plaque text. "Oh yeah. He "really" did all that."

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    1. Being a grammar and punctuation geek, I of course noticed that too.

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    2. I'll bet the guy who made the mold copied it _exactly_ from the letter that White Castle sent him describing what the text should be. Funny, because by 2001 the phrase was pretty common: "(without the quotes)".
      == Michael

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  11. It's great to see these old, familiar scenes again from my college days.

    White Castle...OH yeah! We inevitably ended up ordering a bag of sliders after hitting the bars. We called them "grease bombs". Simply delectable...then they kicked back, and we swore "NEVER AGAIN".

    Until the NEXT time, that is. :-)

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  12. One thing I forgot to comment the first time is I really like the way you have the Torpedo mounted. Have you ever tried typing while riding? (not in traffic of course)

    And I miss White Castle. Probably not the healthiest, but tasty.

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    1. You mean the Tower (=Skyriter). It works out nicely because there are two holes in the back of the frame where the bungee hooks can go. I have not tried typing while riding, I think that would put me in the hospital.

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  13. I like the photos with the text inside and the bicy-writer!

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  14. Very nice post; I like how you incorporated the typecasts into the photos. The Cincinnati State campus looks impressive - that sort of tuition-fueled large-scale investment is not common among European universities, as you can imagine.

    Glad you were able to make the best of the day despite the mishap - as I found out for myself, there's nothing like a UVF (Unexpected Vehicle Failure) to turn an otherwise pleasant outing into an onerous journey...

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