Nothing says a job well done than passing out on the way home and yet still maintaining balance long enough to not crash into a power line pole you are veering towards.
Not today Satan!
But I still managed to rip my shifting cable for my rear derailer, so my bike at the end of the night went from a 12 speed to a single speed. That was a bit of a grind back home to be sure. The good people at Cycleworld Miami managed to get Silvana (crossrip1) Trek back and running like a beast, but the happiness only lasted as long as I was able to not give her another ding, and a nice one she got when she slipped along a pole I locked her up to. Well life is a bitch and you only get lemons, then you complain to the manager and tell them you ordered limes and then they tell you sorry there is only limes here in the life store, so you go home with nothing. Here is something to get sour about...
What was the plan here?
Speaking of sour, cycling in the city more than a 'passing through' has brought about a bit more bitterness towards traffic. Now did I know people in Miami are bad drivers? Yes of course, but did I understand how bad? I was unpleasantly surprised.
Having a couple of days of delivery under my belt I can make a bit of an assessment for anyone interested in doing this kind of work, especially for UberEats. When running around you notice how agile a bicycle can be compared to a car. Traffic is far more terrifying, you even start internally running a cost benefit analysis of whether or not you should make that turn or wait at the light, whether you should filter, or play it safe losing time. Time is your enemy, and the layout of the city usually doesn't help, especially the older parts of the city.
Also, fuck wind.
What is the plan here?
Now I know what your gonna say, "Carlos, just hop into your car and get around faster!" Now I'm gonna tell you, "You don't know shit about parking and one way streets." I noticed that the better markets (where a lot of people use the app) are in the saturated parts of the city, that means sub-burbs are deserts, and your sooooo thirsty.
so.... hot...
I honestly cannot see myself doing this kind of delivery in a car, maybe a scooter, but a car? Hell no. In downtown there is so little parking that anyone pulling off to the side (even to drop off a passenger) gets the ire of all around them.
so, salty
I did notice that many restaurants make accommodations for delivery cars, but the pick up and drop off part of this work is so much faster with a U-lock and pole. Even so I have seen pairs of people working the delivery circuit, dropping off the bag person while the driver circles around, it is a solution, but now you have to divide the spoils of the delivery.
ALL MINE!
In heavy traffic there is no beating a bicycle, and when you are hard pressed to pull off a deadline, the agility and size of a bike makes traffic a laughable obstacle.
Enjoy your cages cattle
I noticed some clients whom the order is in a business, order a bit earlier than the time their lunch is scheduled. More often than not I surprise them, once I even arrived earlier to a location than the customer to their own job. The way traffic is here in Miami, delivery in the city with a car seems like a arduous and painful experience, the road rage alone wouldn't be worth it, at least to me (and if you have seen my videos I have plenty of rage already).
I'm not a complete asshole though....
We all working ourselves into a coma...
More videos are coming down the pipe, make sure to shoot me a like on these videos and I will post some more delivery videos soon, till then!
It has been a long time since I have posted here, well now I'm back. Being an art teacher, artist, and self styled master pencil sharpener have taken a bit of time for me to get used to. Now that things seem to run themselves now, I am able to devote some more time back to this blog, super cool. But I must still paint, that I must do.
All day, erray day
Finally I am finding a bit of time on the side to try something that has been on my mind since I started cycling, becoming a courier.
pretty much
While there is not much, if any demand, for postal rush or same day messaging, there is a lot of lazy rich people that want food, and do not want to mix with the rabble on the streets. Uber has allowed me to service these people, and service them I shall.
So I signed up to be a Delivery boy for UberEats, and I was one of the few cyclist that picked up the bag. Now I am not saying there aren't any food cyclist out there, I see them all the time in places like Wynwood, Brikell and Downtown Miami, but the surprise I got when I walked into the Doral Uber Headquarters (two guys at a table in a sprint store) was a bit telling.
My first couple of deliveries where pretty easy, made a bit of money to pay off the deposit for this giant box they want me to strap to my back, and even got a tip (didn't think that was an uncommon practice, rich people don't tip apparently). The interesting part of being a cyclist with a deadline is you push, you push hard, and running around with a place to be and a task at hand is a good motivator for a destination cyclist like myself. Also it is as if I am exercising, and Uber is paying me to do it.
My Body is Ready
Doral is notorious for having horrid traffic, and surprisingly no cyclist capitalizing on this to make swift filtering to delivery heaven! I'll be posting some of my delivery expereinces and videos when I gather some more highlights, for now, here is a happy/sad thing that happened on a commute the other day.
Funny thing about Miami, we have some of the highest rates of car collisions in the nation. It seems that when we aren't too busy running down pedestrians or hood surfing cyclist, we love kissing each other's ass. And boy, do we enjoy a long drawn out fender bender, I like to call it the Caramel nose nudge. Or the tropical coconut; whatever tickles your fancy, We are so good at having accidents that we have some of the highest insurance rates in the country, as well. Why bring this up? Every time I place my bike on the rack to transport it, I always feel as if I have a huge target on my back. Every time I think this, my worst fears are usually realized.
nooooooooooo
I had "Phil Jamis" hanging on the bike rack off the trunk. He was minding his own business while I was engaging in some errands with the Abuela. I barely even lurched out of my neighborhood and some idiot overdosing on meds decides to get behind the wheel and give Phil an rough hug against our cars.
#GETFUCKED
When all is said and done, I have had too many bad experiences with dealing with insurance claims where my bicycle is involved. We'll see how this plays out but, in the meanwhile, here is some damage porn for you fiends.
I am not saying that there aren't times when cyclist is involved and the car is on the receiving end, but what I am saying is that a cyclist always loses, weather he is on the receiving end or giving, it's just physics at that point.
Momentum x Fuckery = Sadness
Even so, aside the dangers and the ridicule that is a constant bombardment on my commutes. I do my best to let the slights slide by the wayside, but some of my more popular videos are of me losing my cool, which is regrettable. In the moment I have the intent of scorning them with some hope of educating them about the laws that govern cycling and cars. But I know all I end up doing is seem like some angry prick of a cyclist than some educator. Many of these drivers genuinely believe they have done nothing wrong in most cases, and might brush me off as having road rage.
#feels
I compiled a video showing an average commute in the mean streets of Miami. My commute crosses 3 cities, starting in South Miami, bridging through Sweetwater ( which I loath) and ending in traffic laden, bumper burdened Doral. Different sections of 107th ave have their own unique perils and challenges.
All day erey day
Until next time, makes sure to shoot my videos a couple likes and give the channel some subscription loving!
Getting back into group rides has been a bit of an interesting push between mental fortitude and physical pain. It has been a hell of a time relearning to push pass both those things. Tough decisions have to be made during this time of training, especially when I am getting ready for my first event. Such important decisions as...
Which color for today, hmmmm?
Aside from the fashion rides, I find the most important thing is a good group of riders, sometimes they may be above your level, pushing your fitness higher. I also find that sometimes you can just take shelter in their drafts, getting a free ride as they drag you along.
Tom here about to make me look like a bitch...
When you get in a breakaway you better put in some work. The problem with that is, I don't have a very high average speed, all that commuting just made me good at sprinting until the next light, not much else. Doing a pull takes way more energy than it should, and that leaves me drained for the ride back, or if I was competing, the sprint.
Yep, I need some more training...
Anyways my first event will hopefully be the 6 Gap in North Georgia, if all goes according to plan I'll be heading up and riding with Cycleworld Miami. Now there is a bit of a hitch, there are no mountains to train on here in sunny, flat, South Florida.
Hmmmmm.......
I might have to get creative with my training methods, build a better cadence, and forge new muscle groups before I press on to Georgia. Shit is going to get serious, but it needs to be if i want to get out there and do some competition.
It has been a long while since I have done a video and I am still in the importing and rendering process of my current ride. It has been a hefty, muddy trek to get back into the saddle while maintaining a good work ethic; gotta make sure I can afford life's important expenses.
We all know Chipotle, we all know
Recently, I had my bike tuned up, finally utilizing a swaggy new set of wheels I purchased as a gift to myself. The first ride, after the tune up, was a bit of a torrent of happiness. The ride was too good to be true and karma wanted to make sure I paid what I owed. It was useful to find out the hard way that my wheel-set is bombproof.
This is a bit harsh karma...
When I was shifting into a higher gear, my rear derailleur caught a spoke and proceeded to promptly stop my bike in the middle of the street-in traffic- fundamentally destroying itself and the brand new chain I just got in the tune up.
Snapped clean off
Rectifying my rectum that is, as the tune up, after everything was said and done, ended costing me over $200. Granted, this is the second time around Thomas and Calvin accommodated me and even waved a bunch of charges since the bike just came clean from the tune up. We all agreed this should not have happened.
Thanks Calvin and Thomas of Cycleworld Miami for rectifying the situation!
On that note, here is one of many videos down the pipeline. With working at a small business and all the things that come with it, many of the posts will be far more spread out. Please know I am doing my best to crank them out!
A ride with Cycleworld Miami
If you're a commuter like me and want a pair of pants that are fit for cycling, comfortable and stylish for business, check out Rozik outfitters! Good stuff!
Many have criticized the cycling industry for marketing road cycling as a kind of "extreme sport". I can see many types of Mountain biking easily fitting into this label, even Cyclocross. Shit that is generally a hazard to your well being! Until recently I would have countered the notion of road cycling as an extreme sport, but I now realize, the cycling industry has it all wrong.
So extreme!
The real extreme part of road cycling is urban cycling, which includes commuting. Aside from the occasional jostle, bumps, and the most unfortunate crashes, road cycling isn't as "extreme" as many X-game sports (and is rightly excluded). I always seem to unconsciously put far more intense music into my "Almost Hit Series"(videos showing my commuting in the streets) than my "Shut Up Legs Series" (videos of my group rides). The tamest urban cycling video I have is "Filters", but to be fair, it is a very sanitized video of my commute, showing the good times.
More like the fun times!
So why is this? The simple answer is urban cycling produces some hairy situations because of all the variables thrown into the soup that is driving in Miami. Road cycling, in a group though, not so much, it is far more controlled, and there is a certain etiquette to maintain. What this means is, the music I select is more reflective of the video's feel. So sure the videos may be more entertaining, but every bad encounter with a driver may put my life at risk. It is a delicate tightrope I maintain between riding on the dangerous main streets ( which get me from A to B faster) and sticking to the side streets ( usually tacking on 15 to 20 minutes to my commute). I try to make these videos as a kind of awareness, keeping it interesting to viewers, but I fear it comes off as pursuant. We all love some dramatic encounters with others of our species...
Hardly....
As safe as I try to ride, it seems (regardless of my intentions) that bad drivers also seem to be the angriest ones, hell bent on raging if you try to confront them. I am not even sure if this is reaching a wide enough audience, and by the statements of MDPD's Chief, they seem to have more disdain than care for cyclist. I do not expect help and certainly not enforcement from them.
It's not easy being a cyclist
There is no redemption out on these streets. Even with a camera and reports filed, there's no punishment for these drivers. I can just hope their License plates being broadcast for the world can give me some solace. In order of appearance, FCH-043, BRG-P58, BCT-Y28, ICW-562, and X50-4GG, if you see them, give them the only finger that matters, for me.
There is something about breaking a spoke on a ride that brings an interesting mix of horror, shame, and confusion. It's a simple thing that makes sense to break but it's a cost to fix unless you have the right tools. No novice or new cyclist has these damned tools. You aren't going to get that spoke fixed unless it broke on the right side or on part of the wheel that isn't near your cassette.
The hell is going on with this thing?
It seems as if I am always at Cycleworld. I was even asked if I wanted a campfire; I just needed to know who I should pay rent to. This made me take a hard look into my finances and, as much as I enjoy supporting my local bike shop, I am just an art teacher, not actually a profession one gets rich whilst doing. So, with a can-do attitude, I purchased my own chain whip and cassette wrench to assist in further spoke problems...
Maybe I should invest in a motorized vehicle, and give little fucks about lights?
Sure enough, a week later I utilized my tools when not one, not two, but three spokes needed to get replaced; two in the back and one in the front. The look on the mechanic's face when I came in for more spokes...Well, it was the same look of disbelief that I was sporting.
Dammit Phil, this wheel set is costing more than it is saving...
I figured it out soon enough to get my baby up and running for the next day's group ride. The process was a bit of an experience to get everything working; so much so that I left it to the professionals at Cycleworld Miami to double check that the wheels were good to go.
Looking back, I really should stay off the sidewalk....
Thanks again to Cycleworld Miami and to all the mechanics that took time out of a very busy day assisting triathletes to tend to my wheels! If you like this or any of the other posts, don't forget to follow, like, or even comment! Look forward to a couple of group rides down the pipe and an "Almost Hit" highlight. This one is very dodgy, too! Until next time!
Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving today. I hope everyone will be safe and merry, and will do their best to be courteous to retail workers (best if not even shopping honestly).
Every person that deprives a working class retail worker a holiday, are awful...
On That note I do have a couple of posts on the way, so keep that in mind. With Finals coming up and new semesters on the way, me and the editing team (The Misses) have been very busy trying to square away work and school whilst trying to keep this forum updated and relevant.
So punny!
So two new posts are almost done, and will be released, on the soon side. Look forward to a great post about the trials and tribulations of commuting in Miami, and then another group ride! This last group ride with my friends at CycleWorld Miami, good people. Also another two Blog posts being edited, compiled, and written up as we speak, hooyah!
So I would like to close with a very happy Thanksgiving to my baby sister out in California, I miss you, and I love you Prissy! Also a very Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family that I do not get to see as often as I would like. Of course happy Thanksgiving to all my readers and followers, thanks for all the support!
After a late night, (and later morning) I mustered
"Phil" Jamis Ventura. Recently I had refreshed his bar tape, added a rear wheel (that matches its front), and a Shimano cassette and chain to match. I even threw in a pair of matching bottle cages, that I have been in need this whole awful, sticky, hot summer, and with that another Polar Bottle.
Mmmm, dat fresh cassette doh
On I ventured, unsure, scared, hell, even a little nervous without my GoPro, it's usual gift boost in confidence and sense of protection gone. I utilized my phone camera instead. Snapping and remembering to do my best to keep the thing handy.
or it is just a plastic brick in my hand...
I pushed off, away from the trappings, and safety of my home, and into the wild that is the Miami Beaches. More specifically, South Beach. With no particular plan, I headed into a general direction until I crested the famous Venetian Causeway, and spurned through Washington Ave, until I ended at the southernmost point of Miami Beach.
Muh boi propped up on dat der pier...
swanky view, of a plastic swanky city...
This is frowned upon in Miami Beach
There is a couple of videos and posts to look forward to. The next "Anatomy of a Group Ride", with more illustrations, and another video. Also I just completed my third group ride, this time, with the folks at Cycleworld Miami. So look for that post as well.
coming soon!
Make sure to check back for updates and to take a look at Rozik Apparel should you need a nice shirt or pants to commute in. As an added bonus, you use the promo code DIRTBAG and you get 20% off your entire purchase. Not bad if you ask me, until next time!
The thing about being a cyclist in Miami, is the never ending shitstorm, that is the drivers, in this city. I have even been so cynical, and bitter, that my friends are starting to worry. Well, shit, I guess it is high time I let these driver's know how I feel. Even ran into a police officer, and well, he was just as ignorant.
My face when the Internal Affairs Department tells me I cannot complain about an officer's conduct, behind an advocacy group... "TravellingDirtbags", I would need to come in to the station myself and present the video... Sounds like a trap...
Well aside from the new video, I have a couple of other edits down the pipe, so stay tuned for that stuff. Also make sure to rate and subscribe to the video or even leave a comment if you liked it or even disliked it.
Not this time asshole...
A pleasurable ride to the beach without my GoPro! Oh the the ridiculousness and the fun! Look how wacky this sign is WOAHH!
Some of the most touristy crap we got here in Miami
After a long hiatus I am back to work, issues with my computer, as well as a stacked, and busy summer, have made for a difficult posting season. This Fall, I hope to change that and get back to regular updates, not to mention some planning of some tours. Also, I am moving to finally make those other posts of the Key West tour, and the Everglades tour, so look forward to that.
At the moment I am without my gopro, so no new video updates. I will be doing my best to post more pictures and get a bit more involved with the cycling community at large, getting a bit lonely doing the "Lone Wolf" cyclist stich.
I will never be this majestic
I have a couple of minor news, some of it is travesty. A bit disheartening when you get rear ended by a hit and run and your bike happens to be hanging off the back. More on that later.
Dat ruined front wheel doh...
I picked a pretty lovely day to commute to work and after I ended up going to a friends house, who also wasn't home.
I figured while waiting I would explore Calle Ocho and see how close it was to the city and beach.
If anyone is wondering, it is very close. enjoy the next couple of images of this magical journey.
American Airlines Arena!
The Julia Tuttle Causeway!
I feel so welcomed!
It is really hot!
Stuck at a bridge with everyone else!
Awesome tourists!
a slug sticker!
it is so hot!
anyways, now it is about to monsoon!
If you guys are interested I did make one final video before I disappeared, I actually really like this one. So please let me know what I can do to improve and what are some things I missed, enjoy! So here is another addition to the "Almost Hit" series.
There is an interesting piece of road that always seems to slow traffic a considerable amount. I'm sure its just all the tourist heading into the mall.
And Florida sleeps soundly
Until next time make sure to head over to Rozik Wear and when you type in "dirtbag" into the promo box, you get an additional 20% off your entire order! I am not even sponsored by the company, but the gear is just so good, and made in the states, so check it out!
