NiceRide 170, Too Challenging

Ed Kohler of The Deets started a tradition several years ago by using Nice Ride bikes to hit every single kiosk in a single day.  I wish I would have joined him for the first year, when there were only sixty-five stations that could be traversed in about three hours.  In 2013, there are 170 stations spread out over 110 miles of biking--all of which, under the rules of the challenge, must be traveled using the 50-pound Nice Rides.  Furthermore, a lot of the new stations are tucked away in obscure places that probably no one goes to.  Like behind random buildings, or in St. Paul.

So just to see if I could do it--and in the hopes that I could find my middle-school gym teacher on Facebook and tell him I finally earned that "participation" ribbon at the 7th grade track meet, damnit--I decided to give this a shot.  It didn't go as well as I'd wished.

I started my day by remembering what the Kellogg's cereal jingle of my youth taught me about being my best and eating a good breakfast.  Eggs, hash browns, a bagel, fruit, juice, and coffee took a bit longer than anticipated, and I missed the start of the event by a few minutes.  While playing catch-up to the rest of the crew, I ran into some technical difficulties...

Mayor Rybak Tours Nice Rides in NoMi

Post, video, photos, and image by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

Today Mayor Rybak toured and promoted several Nice Ride stations in north Minneapolis.  The route started at UROC, then took a pit stop at the Avenue Eatery (where I joined up with them).  There, Rybak spoke briefly about the importance of the Nice Ride stations in NoMi.  I made sure to thank him for the new bike lanes on Emerson, and then he went off to do other business.  At the Avenue Eatery, I met the proprietors of a new bike shop in NoMi, located in the rear of the building on Broadway, between Emerson and Fremont.

Some criticism has been floating around that it's inappropriate for the mayor to do these tours or photo ops in north Minneapolis while we're still struggling with the tornado recovery.  I disagree, and to the extent I would criticize the mayor today, I'd say I wish he could have stayed with the group for the entirety of the bike tour.  And I believe it's possible to work on tough, ongoing issues over north while still highlighting some of the positive amenities like Nice Ride kiosks.

Thanks, Mayor Rybak, and thanks Nice Ride!

Nice Ride to the Northside Benefit Concert

Post, image, and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

While videos are uploading from the phenomenal Northside Benefit Concert this evening, a preliminary post about my first Nice Ride experience is due.

I started at the kiosk at Farview Park, and found the bikes a bit clunky.  Getting them in and out of the kiosk is tricky at first, but not too hard to master.  Nice Ride bicycles are heavier than the average street bike, and that slowed me down a bit.  They also have only three speeds, and it wasn't until I was limited to such a low number that I realized how I am almost constantly shifting gears on my 21-speeder. 

That being said, the convenience of not needing to bring along a lock or other supplies, and not worrying about what to do if I met some friends after the concert and headed elsewhere allowed me to bike to a show that I otherwise would have driven to (and paid for parking).

In keeping with my biking themes, it's a nice coincidence that I made it to the kiosk at 4th and Hennepin in - you guessed it - fifteen minutes.

Since I already have a bike, my primary use of Nice Ride bicycles will be in situations like this.  They're perfect for heading from NoMi to downtown quickly, and best of all, parking is free.

Nice Ride Kiosk at Farview Park!

Post and photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman.

There are now actual bikes and a usable kiosk at Farview Park on the corner of 26th Ave N and Lyndale Ave N.  At the time the picture was taken, the kiosk wasn't up and running yet.  I'm thrilled that we've got a Nice Ride station at the park and on one of the main bicycle thoroughfares in NoMi.  But not everyone is so overjoyed, and I can see why.

I've received some communication about concerns over letting private entities come on to our park land.  While doing so could create confusion over who is responsible for what, the contract approved by the Park Board does seem to clearly indicate that Nice Ride is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the kiosk on a daily basis.  As long as the kiosk is well-maintained and hopefully regularly used, I'll be happy to have Nice Ride a block or so away from my place.

Oh, and in reading that contract, I found out that the Nice Ride Kiosks are solar powered.  How cool is that?!