March 31, 2023  |  Last & First

Images from 2022’s final Domingo. After a summer heat wave postponement, the weather for this one was a bit cold:

2023 stayed cold, with snow into March. But towards the ides, the first sign of spring – our friends:

Finally, March 31. The last day of free bus fares, Toro rides the Fastrak:

If you live in CT and would like to comment on the end of free bus fares, feel free to fill out this survey.

Free fares were supported by federal COVID funds, but going forward the state would have to foot the bill. While I’d personally love to see them continue, my overwhelming impression is that the majority of Connecticans:

  • own cars
  • blanch at the idea of riding a bus
  • have zero empathy for those who do

So continuing the program for now seems like a long shot. But hope springs eternal, and like the season, I suspect it will come around eventually.

October 6, 2022  |  HB-02: Where’ve You Been?

HB-03 (aka “Senator Buff”) more or less took over this blog back in 2019. To the extent that the last build post of HB-02 (which I have, just now, dubbed “Magnus”) had its fork contents strewn out across a work table.

Remember me?

Rest assured, Magnus has long since been completed. In 2020, with my sister stuck here during lockdown, we’d occasionally ride out to Tariffville Gorge together.

Mags has lain mostly dormant since then. This past month, it received a wash and polish, and hub overhauls to both wheels. This one’s fully tuned and ready to ride… we’ll see where it’s going next.

“Magnus”, present day
September 25, 2022  |  Up & Down

Generally, a ride has to be of pretty good length for me to post about it, but this one’s about going up and down Park Street a few times.

Oh, I should mention: It’s shut down to vehicle traffic, courtesy Domingo.

Even without the festivities, riding carless streets is always a treat in itself.

Stay loose.

August 21, 2022  |  The Slow Track to Fastrak

Time to put the Senator’s new configuration to the test. With fares suspended seemingly indefinitely, we’re going to scout out CT Fastrak.

Buff, the “pack mule”

Taking South Road lets us skirt the edge of car-infested Westfarms, then we get to skirt Batterson-Park-Pond.

Our next park connector is Stanley Quarter, where the geese (and their droppings) are out in force. Then a few landmarks…

… and we’ve arrived at Downtown-New-Britain, home of the Downtown-New-Britain-Fastrak-Station.

Well, that was nice. Time to take a… wait, what’s this?

The Fastrak-Multi-Use-Trail-to-Newington, which (mostly) runs along the (dedicated) bus track.

End of the line is Newington Junction Station, with fifteen minutes until the next bus.

Here it comes…

The rear cab contains a two-bike rack. Unlike CTRail’s bungees, this one uses velcro straps. Stick the front wheel in the rack, and strap the seat tube to keep the bike from lurching backwards (had to figure that out).

Dropped off in downtown Hartford at Bushnell Park, just aways across from Union Station.

Well, that was nice. Time to head… wait, what’s this?

Ah, El Festival Del Coqui.

With vehicles of all different wheel counts.

Heading home for real this time, but stopping for a rest at Elizabeth Park…

It might be leaving soon, but I’ll probably remember the Senator every time I visit this rose garden.

August 16, 2022  |  Arts & Crafts

More RED things to cap off the build of Senator Buff.

New brake cables and bar tape are joined by the original bar plugs (the ones with dasblinkenlights ate themselves). Our RED saddlebag is supplemented by a RED “feed bag”. Like its sibling, this is a piece overflowing with imperfection handmade warmth.

It can be mounted a few different ways, but I found this to be the best. The brake cable is tucked behind, and the lower portion is stabilized by strapping it to the front reflector mount.

HBs 02 and 03 are hitting the block soon. But first, one last trip…