Inspired by Portland, Oregon’s bike culture playbook, Buffalo’s GoBike, a mobility advocacy organization, hosted a fun event. Cyclists, rollerbladers, skateboarders, and wheelchair users could participate in an activity where they spin laps, a whopping 100 of them! around Downtown Buffalo’s Niagara Square.

Back in Portland, there’s a neighborhood called Ladds Addition. It’s a nearly ten-block by ten-block area with a central traffic circle. For almost a decade, riders turn left for a while and complete 500 laps of the quarter-mile loop, which amounts to a century, 100 miles of riding. The event takes place mid-April under the slogan “It’s spring, let’s do something stupid.” more...

Today’s ride was significantly shorter than yesterday’s. The remaining distance to downtown Buffalo was only thirty-seven miles. I had until 4pm to get there, so even if I encountered a headwind and challenging riding conditions, I had the time. 

The route for today consisted of a mix of roads and trails, with approximately fifty percent of the distance covered on multi user paths and dedicated cycle ways. Although I hadn’t ridden the trails in this area before, I was aware that they were paved, eliminating the unpleasant surface conditions I had experienced yesterday. Paved trails are a bonus to me, I don’t require them that way. more...

I finally fell asleep around midnight. I should have packed earplugs. I’m sure they will be handy for other nights to come. Despite the noise and adjusting to the first night outside in over a year, I had a pretty restful sleep. The last time was just after we moved back to New York. My daughters and I visited Watkins Glen, at the southern end of the next lake over, Seneca. The international Raceway was holding an event, closed off to car, but open to cyclists. We did a few loops around the track and then camped at the state park. more...