Elm Tree Express

I was happy to discover that a six-inch plastic flower pot fits perfectly between the rack tubes on my bike. It is much easier to drop the pot into the rack than trying to strap a pot to the rack.
Hopefully these elm trees will be happy in their new home.

Windy Errands

I had to go to the University today to finalize a few things. Tho' it was rather windy, most of my ride was sheltered, especially under the St Vital Bridge.
I can't say the same about riding over it, but luckily I wasn't tossed around for long.

West of the bridge, you have a few options. The panoramic view on my camera makes it look a little strange, but this path actually goes straight.

Glengarry Park, adjacent to the UofM Fort Garry campus, is a study in 1950s architechture.

Even tho' classes haven't started, there are plenty of people here already.
I like the older, classic buildings on campus ,


much more than the newer ones.

The ride to the Fort Garry campus takes just as long as riding to the Bannatyne campus, but is infinitely more pleasant. Too bad I don't have a choice.

The First Delivery

We took a pail of honey and the side rail of a crib (they are going to use the side to make a drying rack) to some friends. They sat nicely on the platform but the Geek had to drill some holes to attach the bungee-cords.
Now all the Geek has to do is replace the wood with some metal mesh so there are more places to hook the bungee cords when transporting cargo, add some gears for heavy loads, and tune up the brakes. Then we are ready to go-all we'll need is a purpose.

Testing Capacity

It took awhile for someone to come along willing to be a passenger on the cargo bike.
My brother-in-law J volunteered one afternoon while I was out with my sister.



The bike handles much better with his 190 pounds then it does with the lighter weight of my nephews.

Two Good Signs

The construction on Jubilee continues; one can actually see progress, tho' it is still irritating to be a cyclist there right now.
Riverside Drive is closed to cars, but I liked this sign. I guess the city has realized that bicycles to not do that much damage to the roads, nor make much noise to irritate the residents.

It also looks like construction will start soon on the shared-use pathway on the south side of Jubilee. Personally, I have been using the sidewalk in that manner off-and-on since the overpass renewals started, so I will be thrilled when it is 'legal'.
Too bad this won't be my route to work much longer.

Safe Parking

I asked the Geek the other day how I would go about getting a spot in the Health Sciences Centre bike lock-up where she keeps her bike. She advised me that her lock-up is for HSC employees only but she was sure that the University had its own compound. She was right.
Here is the email she sent me,

"University of Manitoba Bannatyne bike compound
The university of Manitoba has a fenced in bike compound just west of the Dentistry building. Access to the compound can be added to the ID card of U of M students or employees. See the Mail Room at S013 Medical Services Building to set up access. Contact the Mail Room at 789-3583 for more info."

I'll be heading over there tomorrow!

A Modern Penny Farthing

I went to visit Gooch's at their new location. It is much larger than the old one and the hobby section is now on the same floor as the bicycles.

In the entry way they displayed these two modern penny farthings, made by Ridable Bicycle Replicas.
They are rather elegant looking machines. Someday I may ask if I can take one for a spin.

Re-Enforcement

After mulling over the details, the Geek added another piece of angle iron to one existing pieces to form a square.
Here we see it looking down the long edge.
This has made the bike much more stable.A bit of orange paint for visibility, and we are ready for a load bearing demonstration.