Semper Cyclist: Cavalry Field Report 001
Tuesday I walked with my sign and realized what a pain in the glutes marching will be. Crossing the Willamette involves sign buffeting winds and my imperfect first design was not going to hold up. I got home and noted a strange redness under my eyes. I being dark skinned and not used to accounting for the presence of the sun in any of my endeavors here as I frequently forget it exists (have mentioned how much I hate the weather out here) did not consider this maybe the beginning of a serious wicked sunburn.
Wednesday I had redesigned the Propagandanator version 2.0 structuring the braces like old ship sails. I have dubbed it my topsail and mounted and braced it to sit behind me in one of my panniers. This way instead of wearing my Chucks to a nub and hauling around my Panniers on foot while my mount was getting further away the longer I marched, I rode my bike wind in my hair (courtesy of the F!ckstick that stole my helmet) and my message glaring out behind me. I could take to the streets the way the Cavalry should.
Funny thing about a topsail with no guy lines it follows the wind or if you are traveling at decent speed (not easy with the added drag forces) your slipstream. Sudden forceful winds, gusts to use the technical term, or attempts to force the sign against the prevailing current have been known to cause the lower brace of the pannier to come loose and thus resulting in a toppling of the mast/sail/pannier assembly. I believe the introduction of guy lines to stabilize the signage will only become safe if I add ballast to the pannier in the hopes of stabilizing the whole assemblage; the consequence of which is I have to then increase ballast on the starboard to keep the whole vessel stabilized.
I also have to pedal all the Ballast from the outer east side to downtown Portland. That's seven miles commute, I don't have the capacity to calculate the mileage I rack up traveling the various business and retail districts in the PDX core. I used to protect these retail properties from people with dangerous ideas... it feels good not to sell your soul to the highest bidder a little uncertain though.
Despite some mechanical problems and the topsail issue I regard Wednesday as a success and an improvement. I have an idea of the level of public support. I still ride alone but I only changed the Cavalry status yesterday. Though I need to change it again. This is a combat action. Whenever you ride you are placing your self into a hostile situation. When you ride with a political message waving in the wind behind you invite right-wingnuts to pass their insanely overlarge SUV so close to you that their slipstream draws you (and I ain't easy to draw on; I am Ballast) even further into the lane. Wednesday was a success because I survived the mission and completed at least a few of the primary objectives.
Thumbs Up beat Finger 5 to 1
Casualties: Two Wounded
Jamis Aurora- busted pedal; field dressed and toe clips upgraded at Citybikes Bike Cooperative. (Free Pub for the Peeps)
Jamis Aurora Pilot- Sunburned, heat rashed, and ready for more. Easy to say seeing as it looks like rain for Thursday.
(no it didn't rain Thursday afternoon but by the time it cleared off I was sufficantly medicated and could not ride)