Big yellow dog in the basket of a Denver B-cycle

I didn't have my camera with me yesterday, a fact I greatly lament. While riding a B-cycle southbound on the Cherry Creek trail at about Logan, I saw a large yellow dog, perhaps a labrador, squatting in the basket of a northbound B-cycle. The dog's haunches just barely fit the footprint of the large basket of the bike. Loading the dog must have been quite a feat for the owner to have accomplished. The presumed owner was riding with the dog patiently facing him, at quite a clip considering the situation.

This wasn't the first dog that I've seen in the basket of a Denver B-cycle bike, but easily the largest. At the time I was more than a bit taken aback and didn't have the presence of mind to turn around and follow. If anyone knows who this brave and/or crazy individual is, I'd love to find out more about what I saw.

T minus 7 days

Pre-flight check complete: Big Dummy with Electra in tow position

Next Wednesday is the first day of kindergarten. We've been preparing in a variety of ways, but the most fun might be figuring out the logistics of riding to school. The school is about a mile away along a very familiar route and largely on a terrific trail, but requires us to cross a major street in the first part of the trip. As capable of a young rider as she may be, crossing four lanes of busy traffic is not something that we are up to as of yet.

This is where the Big Dummy comes in. We'll tow her Electra during the first segment of the trip, from home to just past the big street. Once on the trail, she'll launch off on her own bike with me accompanying her on the Dummy for the remainder of the journey. We've ridden a couple of very smooth dry runs on the route. From door to door, the trip takes 13 to 14 minutes, including time to disconnect her bike from the Dummy and of course obeying all traffic signs and rules of the road. I doubt that the time requirements would be much different in a car, including parking and walking time, and it wouldn't be anywhere near as fun.

She is excited for school and I'm proud that on her first day of public school she'll arrive by bike under her own power.

Happy Jack and Vedauwoo

Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Southeastern Wyoming. Although it is lesser known than other magnets for the off-road set, such as Moab or Fruita or Durango, for me it is prime mountain bike country with plentiful trails, amazing vistas and a lot fewer users than more famous areas. As an undergrad many years ago, I had an array of amazing trails in nearly any direction only a short distance from my door. Among my favorites were the Happy Jack and Vedauwoo recreation areas just East of Laramie. In the intervening years since graduation, I have only visited intermittently and rarely with a bike. I hope for that to change.

Vedauwoo

We took a nearly spur-of-the-moment camping trip with a goal of introducing our girl to some of the aforementioned sites. Although only she had a bike along for this trip, Julie and I enjoyed revisiting old places and hiking around the unique wind and water eroded rock formations at Vedauwoo. The experience made me realize that in not too long, she will be ready for some simple off-road riding. Even during the short excursion, she was starting to master some of the fundamentals of fun on two wheels while off the pavement. She gained some experience with the unpredictability of riding on the pea-gravel granite surface of a forest road and enjoyed the sensation of riding on an undulating bed of pine needles and forest debris.

Forest floor: squishier than concrete

Our girl is a natural when it comes to camping. She loves everything from the rustic food to picking wildflowers to scrambling up rocks, but especially the opportunity to get absolutely grubby with glorious impunity. She eats up the outdoor experience with relish, always wanting more.

Beanie weenies cooking on a 50+ year old Coleman model 425B camp stove

Getting the coals ready for post-ride marshmallows

Enjoying the wonders of optical illusion

This trip has spawned many ideas. I am developing plans to do some test S24O camping on the Big Dummy in the near future to combine several well-enjoyed activities. I may also have to build up a bike with 16 inch wheels more suitably equipped for off-road riding. Those who know me will already realize that I'll probably enthusiastically overdo both.

Denver B-cycle number 420

I finally rode Denver B-cycle bike number 420 again today. It's significant for me because this was the first bike that I rode on the day of the launch of the system. In the past few months, I've taken note of the various bikes I've checked out and ridden, including number 001 (also known as the Mayor's bike), many of the other single digit bikes, as well as number 500. However, this is the first time I've revisited this particular bike. I suppose the ID number of this bike carries another significance, especially in Colorado, but that's another topic.

Denver B-cycle number 420 on rainy April 22, 2010

Denver B-cycle number 420 on hot August 5, 2010

 Here's me and number 420 on page 20 of the July 2010 issue of Bicycling magazine:

Thanks for sending me the magazine Larry and Jennie!

BSNYC on the Big Dummy

It seems as though the master opinionator of the bike world, while not overtly admitting in so many words, likes his Big Dummy.