Due to work commitments I have to cancel tomorrow morning's Central Park laps. The Wednesday forecast is rain. Thursday morning is on, weather permitting.

DOT did  a LOT today-massive painting, scraping reconfig. etc.Hard to believe they did SO MUCH !!! 

However-issues-I discussed with a DOT rep there-seemed slightly interested(not much); a cop in an enclosed scooter -hardly cared at all, and Caroline G from Parks who DID care-and she seemed concerned.

ISSUES I saw-1- biker insignia in left lane are now scraped away-gravel remains in piles in some spots!  The middle lane now has bike markings and the right lane(new car only lane) has a solid white line between-however the cars do NOT obey the new line-especially from 6th ave north-BE CAREFUL

Also where they start a new thermoplastic line; above an old one-the paint goes on too thick for a few yards; or more-dangerous.

I can't be the only cyclist around who hears funny questions or comments from non-cyclists from time to time.  I'm plenty naive about pleanty of things myself, but still, you've really got to wonder what people are thinking sometimes.  I thought I'd share a few of these here. 

On Saturday while getting off the train in White Plains to begin our foliage ride, a man came up to me and asked:

"So, where will your group bike to, North White Plains?"

One year, on the day after riding the full Montauk Century, I was talking about it to a co-worker.  The co-worker asked:

"So what road did you take, the Long Island Expresway?"

Below ....from a recent Paul Kimmage piece.

for years Kimmage has been one of few courageous public voices about the truth behind this fairy tale.

Feels like the wheels are falling off professional cycling. Omega Pharma-Quick Step firing of Levi Leipheimer seems like an attempt to enforce silence.

UCI's credibility is shot. Who will lead the sport out of this morass?

As someone on our Club ride cracked his helmet today with a hairline crack in the inner center foam support, I'm posting the Giro and Bell Helmet replacement info. that we sent to the person tonight.  (He's fine, bike is fine. No NYCC accident report is required)

For our records and future Message Board text seach functionality, here is the Bell and Giro helmet replacement info. as of today, Oct. 21:

GIRO:

http://www.giro.com/us_en/customer-service/cycling-helmet-faqs/

Anyone else not like to ride at 6am? In the dark? And the cold!? I'm planning to ride upstate on Wednesday and/or Thursday  (from Brooklyn). I don't usually do anything fancy. Usually just a muffin in Piermont via River Rd. and home via 9W. However, I'm flexible on routes/destinations. Anyone also flexibly employed and care to join? A20-25.

Last time I was out there, a couple of weekends ago, the pavement from about 60% of the crossing to about 90%, coming from the Queens side to the Manhattan, was ground down to some kind of metal gridwork with underlying pavement in the interstices. But not even close to flush with the top of the gridwork. Pretty unpleasant to ride on, especially coming westbound as a descent. I assume this was a stage in a repaving project. Has repaving proceeded and the problem been fixed? Or if not, when might we expect it'll be done?

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I hate to be a curmudgeon about this, but am I the only one who thinks these things have gotten overly frequent?