So today I rode all the way to work and back (as I have been doing since my train pass ran out on Dec 31) in record time and record average speed. I took the flat route in to downtown along Marginal and 1st in a moderate 57 minutes. On my return I chose not to cross 2 lanes of oncoming traffic and tried a different return route, Rainier.
Rainier has one major rise but I was still able to maintain mid teens nearly all the way up. Once I got to a known checkpoint I could tell I was about 10 minutes faster than my normal route along the lake.
So, long story to say that my full 31 mile round trip came to 2 hours and 1 minute and an average of 15.3 mph; a new record.
Along that route I also broke a streak of which I have recently boasted: consecutive days, without falling, since I began using my clip-less pedals DUE to the fact that I couldn’t unclip.
Yes there was that time near the Arboretum; but that was slickery mud and a cliff-like road shoulder and didn’t have anything to do with my pedals. Tonight was different; I stalled on a wheelchair ramp to the road-island on the NW corner of Rainier and Airport and did a somewhat slow, and definite kerploppety, sit-fall onto the meaty part of my left gluteus. My mistake was speed, attention, and pulling when I should have twisted.
The only thing that wasn’t broken tonight was my ego, pretty healthy that one. Well that and all the bones in my body and all (known) parts of my bike.
UPDATE in the form of a question:
Why do *they* call them wheelchair ramps anyway? I bet there are perhaps 10,000 bikes and strollers using that particular ramp for every wheelchair or other wheelchair-like device. That would make for an interesting study.
blief 
And what wheelchair have you ever seen that has a wheelbase narrow enough to fit in some of those tiny “wheelchair” ramps?
If my memory serves me correctly, the only reason we have those ramps is to accommodate wheelchairs. Bikes, in those days, did not even have toe clips, much less the “clipless” toe clips, so bicycle riders were expected to dismount and walk the bike across every street. These days it is much safer for a bicycle rider to stay on the bike than to fiddle around with clicking in and out, so the ramps are a necessity when using the sidewalk.
The “wheelchair” ramps would do a much better job at serving their purpose if they were wide enough, and aligned with the crosswalk, and not aligned with light poles and other obstacles. A poorly designed ramp is probably the reason why you toppled yesterday.
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There are also powered “wheelchairs” — the Grand Mother owns one.
The ramps are necessary particularly for these powered chairs because they can’t be “walked” up onto a curb like a wheel chair (being pushed) can be. In fact, some athletic wheel chair users can do a “wheelie” by themselves and get their front wheels up onto a curb and then do something similar to get their big drive wheels up!
I’ll have to take a look at the ramp you are talking about — I haven’t seen any like Bopop talks about that are too narrow for a wheelchair (or powered chair).
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I’m sorry to hear that you fell — twice. Hope that you are okay.
Maybe you need more rest, I know for a fact that the weekend just past was busy as heck for you.
We sure enjoyed the recital and seeing the Allegro polar bear, and her red skirted sister.
Get some rest. No more falling, and I mean it! Anybody want a peanut?
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