Climate Weekend with CycloMonkey

Hi, it's me - CycloMonkey!

I recently joined a few hundred people on the Green Fondo, powered by ClimateRide.org. I thought they said "primate ride" so I had to go!

The weekend started off with a special "farm-to-table" dinner. There are no banana farms in northern California, so I hung out in the bunkhouse. But Todd thought it was fantastic. Then way too early the next morning, we gathered around our oatmeal and coffee to ride bikes.

On Strava, this looks like a weekend of bike riding - 100 miles on Saturday and 65 miles on Sunday. But really, it was a cycling celebration of many months of fundraising for a collection of environmental advocacy organizations. We were riding for the top fundraising teams, Bike East Bay. (Plug: it's not too late to donate!)

As I viewed the ride in reverse, from the comfort of Todd's jersey pocket, I watched everyone else suffering in the face of abnormally strong winds - gusting over 25mph. Perhaps strong winds are actually becoming normal in California, though. Last year, wildfires devastated what was once Paradise (the town). Wired magazine claimed, "The driving force has been extreme wind... Like a demonic analog of water, this air is flowing across the state, nourishing flames and parching plants." In fact, the wine we enjoyed the night before came from vineyards that no longer exist after the wildfires.

Yeah, we rode through climate change but complained about the weather!

The rugged coastline near Bodega Bay

Later in the day, with the winds at our back and bananas in our tummies, we enjoyed several car-free miles on the West County Regional Trail - a multi-use trail built on the former Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railway. This trail resulted, in part, from the persistent efforts of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - one of many beneficiaries of all that fundraising. I should say this ride had it all: the spray of the surf, the stately redwoods, bucolic pastures - and free pie! And the headwinds blew for the last of the 100 miles just so we wouldn't forget.

After a shower and dinner, we shared stories with old and new friends but learned a few things, too. Like the fact that our choice of banks affects the climate. The big banks - JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, B of A (in that order) - invest a huge amount of your savings in the fossil fuel industry. Their average grades on the Fossil Fuel Scorecard are D, C-, D+, and D+, respectively. In contrast, Amalgamated Bank is an example of a sustainable bank with a 100% fossil-fuel-free portfolio. Considering that retail banks have well over $100 trillion (trillion!) in assets to invest, this has huge potential to make a difference. In contrast, general philanthropic funding for action on climate change is still tiny, at just 2 percent of US charitable dollars by some estimates.

But I'm a monkey; I don't do banking. Maybe you do.

Looking back at the climb leading to Pierce Point

Sunday morning came equally early yet colder - like 30-something - but mercifully the wind had subsided. Unlike Saturday's pounding on Bodega Bay, Sunday pampered us with postcard views on both sides of Tomales Bay. Once inhabited by Coastal Miwok tribes, Russians venturing south, Spanish venturing north, possibly Englishmen searching for the northwest passage - the pastures now belong to cows. It smelled that way, too. Although Todd desperately wanted a warm cup of coffee, we rode right by the legendary Bovine Bakery at Point Reyes.

A little caffeine might have taken the sting out of the final climb up the Marshall Wall. After miles of serenity along the bay, climate riders could be forgiven for thinking it was a mural of a road painted on a sheer cliff. but no - that's the way home.

And that's an apt image for this weekend. The challenge we face - this climate crisis - looks daunting, but we will overcome it. And we will do it on bikes!


NOTES:
https://hewlett.org/strategy/climate-and-energy/
https://earthjustice.org/
"These Wind Patterns Explain Why California's Wildfires Are So Bad" Wired Magazine, 11/11/18, Matt Simon




The backstory on CycloMonkey.

Errandonnee Part 1: Going Car-Free (Lite)

Michigan, in the 1960s, was all about the automobile. Gasoline was $0.30 per gallon when I was born. Living in farm country, we actually had a 200-gallon tank on our property and a gas truck would come out periodically and fill it up. No thought was given to burning gasoline - even just for fun! Before I was old enough to drive, I owned five cars. The economy revolved around the automobile. And so I went to General Motors Institute to be an automotive engineer. I only say this to underline how deeply the automobile is ingrained into my being.

After a few years of increasing annual mileage on my bike in the past decade, it dawned on me that it might be possible to eliminate the car from certain aspects of my life. Is it possible to completely eliminate it? Let's examine some of the problems:

• Commuting - from the suburbs to Silicon Valley, 55 miles round-trip per day
• Errands - grocery store, dry cleaning, volunteering (the shortest trips, but awkward to carry stuff)
• Dining Out - ~10 miles, but always with my wife who does not bike
• Going Places - vacations, day trips, movies (varying degrees of difficulty and luggage)

Enter the Errandonnee Challenge. Mash up "errands" and "randonnee" - meaning long, self-supported bike ride, take a photo and hashtag it. The challenge is 12 errands in 12 days and it's made slightly more challenging by specific categories to enforce some diversity of the errands. Of course, it's possible to do all 12 errands in one day. But what fun would that be‽

March 4, 2016, Errandonnee #1

Multi-Modal Commute (category 7. Work or Volunteering)

Short bike ride to the train station; train ride down to the Valley; five-mile bike ride from the train station to work. Then the opposite back home that afternoon. About 20 miles of actual bike riding.

I've been doing this a couple times a week for a couple years. There are lots of cyclists doing the same thing.
Observation: If it's raining and snails invade the bike path, there will be collateral damage.

March 5, 2016, Errandonnee #2

Haircut (category 1. Personal Care)

About two miles downtown. No big deal. I tried to take it easy to keep my head from sweating.

Observation: They open at 8am! Okay seriously, I noticed that it's so much easier to park a bike - right at the front door - than a car.

March 5, 2016, Errandonnee #3 (same day)

Coffee (category 6. Social Call)

From the barber shop to the coffee shop was less than a mile. The rules allow this, so I did it.

Observation: Kouign-amann (pastry); resistance is futile. 

March 5, 2016, Errandonnee #4 (same day, but I went home first)

Dry cleaning (category 2. Personal Business)

This was a bit of a challenge and has always been a hurdle for going car-free. It's possibly the shortest errand for me, 0.7 miles. How do you transport a few dress shirts on hangers to and from the dry cleaners? I've tried this before. It's rather dangerous to have a shirt on your back. 

Observation: The tip from packing experts is to roll your clothes, so I tried this. I left the shirts on their hangers and precisely rolled them up and put the roll in my backpack. Success!

March 5, 2016, Errandonnee #5 (same day, same shopping center)

Groceries (category 8. Store)

The grocery store is two doors down from the dry cleaners in the same shopping center. I rode my bike but probably didn't pedal more than a couple times - slightly more than zero miles.

Observation: Rolled up dry cleaning is useful padding to keep potato chips from getting crushed.

Then the rains came and I opted to drive across town to my volunteering gig at the SPCA. It's not that I won't ride in the rain. But I need to put more thought into packing. Maybe next week. This is something I need to resolve on my car-free quest.

March 6, 2016, Errandonnee #5
Coffee and CycloMonkey Chaperone (category 6. Social Call)
As I am apt to do on Sundays, being a Devout Coffee drinker, I rode down the canyon to Devout Coffee to drink coffee. After that, I visited my friend to drop off a certain stuffed animal. CycloMonkey has been to two corners of the globe and Andrea is going to take him to a third (New Zealand and Australia). The ride home made the whole trip 31.7 miles.
Observation: The short-cut from Andrea's house, through the sports park, leads right to Rusty's house. (True observation: I can barely recognize my cycling friends without their helmets on.)


Clearly, I can eliminate the car for commuting and most errands. Stay tuned for more Errandonnees and more serious changes in my transportation habits.

Catching Up with CycloMonkey

I recently sat down with CycloMonkey in between trips. It was a rare chance to reminisce and share a cup of coffee. These days, his travel schedule is too hectic to share in-depth stories and thoughts on each trip but he was happy to answer a few questions before the limousine shuttled him off to the airport again.

Steven

TN: So, where are you headed this time?
CM: Oh, this is just a couple days in Austin, Texas, with Steven for business. I've never been to Texas. I hear it's big. And I hear they have funny accents but they can't be worse than Scotland!

TN: For our infrequent readers, why don't you tell us where you've been recently?
CM: Okay, sure, let me think. Okay, after Steven took me to Scotland, then I hung out with Dave and Dedi. They took me to see the Lion King at the theater in San Jose and then we went to Big Sur on the coast and slept in a yurt. That was great! You and I went to Yosemite after that.


TN: Yep, that was cool.
CM: Yeah, and then John took me on a bike ride where I met Jens Voigt. I think that guy was a monkey in a previous life; he's hilarious! And then John took me to Japan - wow! Very intense place, very exciting. And then John took me to Italy - whoa! How come you never go to cool places like that?

This is the life (Venice).

TN: And then where?
CM: Sorry. Okay, Damian took me down to Baja, Mexico. That's all off the record, okay? It's fine. Nothing happened, really. But after that, he took me skiing in Colorado. Snow! Tons of snow! And cold, really cold. And you've gotta get one of those fat bikes. They're a riot.

TN: I've ridden them; I agree! But I've got too many bikes.
CM: You need one more. Anyway, Patty took me to Minnesota for the U.S. National Figure Skating Competition. She knows a lot of famous people. So that brings us to this trip to Texas.

TN: Okay, great. We better speed things up; your ride will be here soon.
CM: I travel light.

TN: Alright, let's go to the speed round. You ready?
CM: Fire away!

TN: Best bar?
CM: Harry's Bar in Venice.

TN: Best bike ride?
CM: Fat bike in Colorado

TN: Worst food?
CM: Minnesota, no comment. Next question.

TN: Worst flight?
CM: Spain, but I didn't lose my stuffing so it's all good.

TN: Favorite travel companion?
CM: Will they be reading this? I mean, it's you, man, it's gotta be you.

TN: Nice try. Bucket list destination?
CM: Mars. But don't leave me there.

TN: Where would you go back to?
CM: Easy, I'd go back to Santa Cruz. I'd go back to where we met and find my old friend who lost me. Sorry about messing up your speed round. I love me life and I wouldn't change anything, but I'd just like to check back in and let them know I'm alright. That's all.

Where we met, on Columbia St., off Cliff Drive, just north of the Lighthouse in Santa Cruz

TN: I'm working on that. But I need some help. Since you are so busy, how can your fans keep up with you?
CM: I've got my own Facebook page now! I'm a "public figure" - ha ha!

TN: Yes you are. Oh look, you've got a plane to catch. Thanks for spending some time with me today.
CM: Anytime. You're like family. But not the super-close family that I'd share the details of Mexico with... just sayin'. Hey, can we go to Vegas?

CycloMonkey’s Maiden European Adventure

[Guest blogger: Steven McQuade]

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical when my good cycling buddy Todd brought CycloMonkey on one of our commutes into Santa Clara. However after a few rides and some good humored banter amongst the lads I decided to embrace our furry friend. After hearing of his adventures in southern California and Alaska I decided it was time for him to experience some European culture. The timing was right as it coincided very nicely with a business trip I had planned that encompassed Dublin, Ireland, Malaga, Spain, London, England and my home town of Hamilton, Scotland.

First stop on this mini tour for our long tailed friend was Dublin. Dublin is renowned for its Irish hospitality “the craic” especially at the Temple Bar and the Guinness Brewery however one thing that I wasn’t aware of until recently is that Dublin is actually twinned with our very own San Jose.

Unfortunately CycloMonkey and I never got the chance to experience the craic as we flew in for a 10 a.m. meeting then flew out to Malaga at 4 p.m.

Malaga seemed like a strange place to me to have a sales office as I was more aware of Malaga as a holiday resort for the Brits. I wasn’t complaining as CycloMonkey and I were looking forward to seeing the sun and the beach after being in a cold, wet Dublin.

At this point CycloMonkey was having withdrawal symptoms from the lack of cycling on this trip. As such I had to put him to bed for the night whilst I went for dinner on the rooftop of the AC Hotel Malaga Palacio – sorry no monkeys allowed.

The next day we had the flight to the UK, specifically London where I would have a couple of days to treat CycloMonkey to the pomp and ceremony of Great Britain, perhaps he may even get the chance to meet one of the royal family.

After the trek from London’s Stansted airport into central London I did take CycloMonkey to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace. I had called ahead to make an appointment with Her Majesty but unfortunately she was out the country on State business. Unfortunately, CycloMonkey had to make do with the outside of Buckingham Palace, as you can see he was overwhelmed by the experience.

Finally it was time to head home to Hamilton, Scotland. I was excited to show CycloMonkey some of my old stomping grounds and treat him to some home comforts such as Irn Bru (soda made from iron girders!).

Missing being on the bike myself, I decided it was time for us to hit the road. Five miles in to the ride and we hit Hamilton Mausoleum, the burial site of the Duke of Hamilton. The Mausoleum has one of the longest lasting echoes of any man-made structure in the world and is the largest private mausoleum in Britain. The chapel and crypt was built for the 10th Duke of Hamilton in the mid 19th century.

Leaving the Mausoleum we continue on into Strathclyde Park, a country park located in Lanarkshire, Scotland that covers some 4 km² and is centered on the artificial Strathclyde Loch. It forms what used to be known as the low parks of the now demolished Hamilton Palace and still includes buildings associated with the palace.

The remains of Bothwellhaugh Roman Fort and a Roman bath house can be seen in the park, where the South Calder Water flows into the loch. There is an arched Roman bridge across the South Calder nearby and the site of the Battle of Bothwell Bridge (1679) is to the north west of the park.

More recently Strathclyde Park hosted the triathlon and rowing events of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

After circumnavigating the loch it was time to head back home for some Scottish breakfast fare to prepare for the flight back to The Bay where I would return CycloMonkey to Todd to allow him to prepare for his next adventure.

It was a pleasure travelling with my new found companion and I look forward to our next trip together.

Coffeeneuring 2015 Wrap-Up

This is a post with the sole purpose of recycling and recounting. Shameless self-promotion. "Hey, read my blog posts again!"

Recylcing (links to original posts):

It's over.

Shop 1: Devout Coffee (previously visited ...recycled)
Shop 2: The Cool Bean Cafe
Shop 3: Panama Red
Shop 4: Sunol Railway Cafe
Shop 5: Sugarie Bake Shop (previously visited ...recycled)
Shop 6: Pacific Bay Coffee
Shop 7: The Bubble Tree Cafe
Control Card: Here

Recounting:

Except for the Cool Bean, all the coffee shops were relatively close to home.

My Top Three Overall (coffee and "the experience")

1. Devout Coffee - cool place, cool people, good coffee, happy to talk about coffee, nice town
2. Sugarie - cool people, good pastries, good coffee, close to home
3. Cool Bean - cool place, good coffee, cool people, halo effect from Yosemite trip

Total mileage: 130 miles

And the answers to the questions you all want to ask:

What's with the duck?

Mendo, and the stunt-doubles

Well, really it's a failed attempt at doing something clever. I have a stuffed monkey that I take on cycling trips and have created a whole story around him. I cloned the Coffeeneuring interactive map and use it to track his travels. Next I plan to find his original owner and return the monkey along with this amazing story of where it's been. Cool, eh? Mendo the coffeeneuring rubber ducky was a spontaneous idea along the same lines. The monkey was scheduled to be elsewhere for much of the coffeeneuring challenge, so I couldn't use him. So the duck substituted for the monkey. 

Sorry you asked?

Why Coffeeneuring?

CycloMonkey loves coffee!

This is Mary's question to all of us. Two years ago, I was not a coffee drinker. But my cycling hobby had evolved to be my primary mode of transportation. So I was waking up at 5am for a two-hour commute a few times a week. That left me rather sleepy at work, so I started with a half-cup of coffee for the caffeine and grew from there. I figured if I was going to drink coffee, I'd rather drink good coffee and had better learn about it. That's one part of the answer: I wanted to learn more about coffee. A forced taste-testing event served that purpose.

A second part is that I'm a little nerdy (perhaps geeky) and have an abnormal affinity for checklists, accumulating logs of things, record-keeping, or most any form of organizing things. Much like my involvement in Randonneuring, I like to look at the list of things I've accomplished. So here was a chance to display my list to others who also might appreciate a list.

Part and parcel with my nerdiness is general introversion, introspection and creativity in need of an outlet. Facebook and blogging allow me to pretend to be extroverted at a nice, safe distance. So I suspected that I might get a captive audience in this Coffeeneuring group and I might get some pre-made topics on which to write. More practice at writing. More practice at cell-phone photography. And low and behold, I may have gained some friends ...well, acquaintances. Can I get a "like" or a "+1" for that?

Why Food Pairing?

Coffee, like wine or beer, can be very complex and varied. I've had good food with good coffee and the combination made both taste a little off. Look it up, it's a thing. I'm a believer. When is the cycling and donut challenge?

Was There a Theme Within a Theme?

Yes, did you miss it? Actually, I had hoped that one would evolve. So I sub-titled my rides with something and the name of the coffee shop. Nothing clever evolved. So no, there was ultimately no theme within a theme - except for the rubber ducky. If you can find some creative theme, leave a comment.

Thanks for indulging me.

October 3 Fun and Games at the Treebones Resort Day 2

Can you believe it? All you can eat breakfast with waffles, home made peanut butter, quiche, fresh juice, even bananas!

But there's more.

Soon we were on our bikes riding up Hwy 1. It was a bit spooky with some of the car drivers but that's the life of a #Cyclomonkey. I waved at everyone and asked them to slow down and give us 3 feet. Some only gave us 3 monkey feet. That's not cool. But most drivers waved back and gave me (and Dave) plenty of room.

After lots of ups and downs Dave and Dedi turned right and we started to climb. and climb. and climb! I love it!

...and no traffic.

We stopped for some photo ops. Nice. I needed the break. The air was starting to feel thin!

Stopping for some fresh air!

I love it when Dedi smiles!

Shall we dance!

We kept climbing and made it all the way to the top where we visited the New Camaldoli Hermitage. 

Wow is all I can say!

Boy we are up high!

The monastery!

Our ride home was quite nice. More of a shoulder heading South. I liked that. We met a funny rider from Wales. He thought I was quite the sight! He rode with us and told me he was rooting for Australia in the Rugby games. Promised me a beer if they won. But my friend Sean Maloney would have not liked it if I celebrated with him.  I knew Sean was rooting for England. So I politely told him no.

We got back to the Yurt and Dave wanted a few more miles. So we rode up a super steep dirt road. I thought we would tip over backwards. But Dave climbs about as well as Todd so we were fine. But I was still a bit scared. 

Swinging in the wind!

Finally a close up of me! I sure am cute if I may say so myself!

The ride home was sure bumpy and steep but I got to ride up front and really enjoyed it!

From here it was another nice evening but Sunday we headed home. I was a bit sad. So I won't show any pictures from that sad day. But don't worry.  I know that more adventures await me. I've heard talk of Italy, Scandinavia and even Australia. I wonder which one is next!

Scandinavia?

Australia?

October 2 Treebones Resort Day 1

Can things get better! YES! SWEET!

Dave and Dedi are driving me to Big Sur!

I will get to see tree houses, new trails, new adventures, and I'm sure new friends!

I'm ready to go!

It was a long drive but the company was great.

Driving away!

We stopped at the old Steinbeck cafe in Monterey for a quick lunch.

Kids with greasy fingers were all around and wanting to play with me, but Dave and Dedi kept me safe and explained to them that I was famous and needed to be kept out of their reach! Pheww..

Here I am lounging around before the big adventure!

Just Hanging out!

Keeping Dedi company and cooling off next to some ice water!

After lunch and a scenic drive down Highway 1 we reached the wonderful Treebones resort. I couldn't believe it! 

We were greeted and taken to our Yurt by Rita who gave me a big hug and even offered me a banana! Can you believe it?

Hanging out with Rita who showed us to our Yurt

The Yurt was beyond belief! Check it out!

They carved a chair with a view, just for me!

Lots of room for me to play in here!

Hey! Look at me!

Just one glass of wine to help Dave and Dedi celebrate 25 years together!

Going a short hike

Dedi shows me the nest! I love it. Wish  I could sleep there!

We had a nice dinner and soon it was time to call it a night.

Dave promised me a fun bike ride on Saturday! Can't wait!