…there are many like it but this one is mine.  Without me, my bike is useless.  Without my bike, I am useless.

On a side note, it never fails to cause me to flinch whenever I am riding in downtown Minneapolis and I glance over at a car, truck or SUV and see that it contains just a single individual.  Regardless of what size the vehicle it almost always has just the one person in it.  Yes,  I know that some of these people have just dropped off a child or spouse or maybe they are handicap in some way but I also have to believe that a vast majority of drivers are just hardwired to drive.

Anywho, I don’t have the time to go off on a rant so let me just say this, have a nice day.

Alright Minneapolis, I’m on to your bipolar weather scene and now I am geared up and ready to tackle week 3 of 30 Days of Biking with a vengeance.  This weekend I adjusted my chain and rewrapped my handlebars, pulled out the rain pants and bought plenty of ramen noodles.  The city awaits, and I am rolling into that great unknown.  Bike don’t fail me now!

It’s Friday and the city awaits my arrival.  There’s a storm brewing on the horizon and I’m trying my best to beat it before I get drenched.  This is the city.  Minneapolis.  The town that time forgot.  With a little luck I will make it into my office safely and be able to live again for another day.  In Minneapolis we live life one hour at a time, it’s all that we can do.

So light a candle for me and wish me luck as I continue to pedal towards the city.

Week 2 of 30 Days of Biking is off to a strong start despite the wind and drop in temperature.  This morning I arrived at work downtown with numb feet from the brisk winds along the Hiawatha Bike Trail but overall nothing beats commuting by bike.  As long as my trusty bike holds up I will be riding all week long and beyond.

The Moai Team has been putting in some serious miles all week long in celebration of 30 Days of Biking.  I am proud to be a user of the Nice Ride MN system and they have helped get me to and from work all week long.  Go ride a bike and keep a look out for a Moai!

After a few weeks of debating the virtues of bike sharing/rentals I purchased yearly subscriptions from Nice Ride MN for me and the family.  The keys arrived yesterday and this morning we went and took a ride along the Midtown Greenway.  The overall experience was wonderful.  You insert your key into any available bike, adjust the seat and then pedal away.  I wasn’t too sure how these green monsters would handle but it turns out that was not an issue.  We thoroughly enjoyed the ride and look forward to many more before November, when they remove the bikes for the season.

I’ll tell you what, if you live in the Twin Cities then I recommend you check out Nice Ride MN.  If you live in another city that offers this service, ditto.  And if you live in a city that is considering a program like Nice Ride then you need to support it.  You won’t be disappointed.  Nice Ride?  Indeed.

The past couple of weeks has seen me breaking a sweat while trying to drum up some new bike themed art.  After many false starts it looks like my effort will pay off with three new posters.  A sneak peak is below.