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10 votes
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Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to twenty-five years in US prison
54 votes -
An interview with DBacks ace Zac Gallen
5 votes -
Daniel Kahneman, renowned psychologist and Nobel prize winner, dies at 90
19 votes -
Baltimore port bridge collapse: Global ocean carriers put US companies on hook for urgent cargo pickup
23 votes -
America's first right-to-repair bill that bans parts pairing
40 votes -
Brawls, rivalries and superstars: how women’s college basketball became the main event
3 votes -
2021 Rust movie set shooting tragedy: The product of low-budget, cost-cutting filmmaking
17 votes -
California is preparing to defend itself — and the nation — against Donald Trump 2.0
31 votes -
Natural gas is scamming America
25 votes -
Visa, Mastercard settle long-running antitrust suit over swipe fees with merchants
20 votes -
Went on another scenic bike ride
Comment box Scope: personal anecdote, some thoughts Tone: neutral/positive with some grumbling Opinion: yes Sarcasm/humor: a tad Last week I talked about a bike ride I took along the Schuylkill...
Comment box
- Scope: personal anecdote, some thoughts
- Tone: neutral/positive with some grumbling
- Opinion: yes
- Sarcasm/humor: a tad
Last week I talked about a bike ride I took along the Schuylkill River in eastern Pennsylvania.
This weekend I rode as far as I could along the Delaware & Lehigh canal trail which parallels the Delaware River, also in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a pleasant, low-traffic, and scenic route for much of the journey. I found myself at peace and grateful that I had this opportunity. It was a zen experience.
Starting in Yardley-borough, I got about 31 miles before I could not go any farther. This was mostly because I started very late in the afternoon instead of in the morning, so it got dark and cold before I could get to the end. Also I was exhausted because I had not rested much. I think that, physically, I could go farther if I allocated more time to it. The trail is about 60 miles from Bristol to the easternmost of the Lehigh Valley cities. That is probably the maximum distance I could personally travel in 1 day on my bicycle. (I hear there is also a trail that follows the Lehigh River west-ish toward Bethlehem; I am not sure if it goes all the way to Allentown. I have not investigated this yet.)
Next time I will aim for about 45-50 miles by starting earlier in the day. My main physical issue is that I get tired, so I need at least one extended recovery break. Surprisingly, there was not too much strain on my back. I suppose it helped that I was not wearing a backpack and instead used a bike attachment for my supplies. I do have trouble with the aggressive forward position in terms of my wrists, though I find that if I hold myself up with my core where possible, that can take the pressure off my joints. Shoulder soreness is usually a problem while I cycle but I was careful to stretch and stay relaxed which I think helped. I did not have any knee problems. I did cut my finger open on a fence, which was not ideal as I had forgotten to bring first aid supplies, but it was minor and the moving air seemed to dry the scab faster. Thankfully it was not infected.
Some other notes about my ride:
- I saw a fox. Deer were plentiful and I almost collided with one (more than once: it seemed to be unsure which side of the trail it wanted to be on). I also saw many geese and several ducks, as well as other birds. Lastly, I saw various dogs.
- It is remarkable how people engage with you in the country. I forget these things now, though deep down they are not foreign; my soul remembers old habits. There is much more trust, or respect. Perhaps that is because I do not look like an 'outsider' (or I do, but not threateningly so). But it was nice to be acknowledged, even in passing, rather than ignored. While I did notice some unsavory political messaging, it was minimal; overall I felt safe.
- This time I brought plenty of food and water, as well as some extra clothing in case I got stuck and needed to stay warm until I found shelter. But while this area is rural, it is far from isolated, so I was not so worried. I did bring a telephone, but I did not need it.
- There were several closures on the trail in areas that were not easy to reroute. The Google Map did not inform me of the closures. I was going north, and for some reason the only signage signifying some of the closures at the previous canal/road crossings was going southbound. This meant that when I encountered a closure, I was stuck; backtracking would have been a few miles in some cases, and double that to get back to my current location (a lot of lost time/energy, and demotivating). To get around this, I simply evaded the barriers (there was no active construction) to move forward, which involved getting muddy. (There was no physical danger to my doing so. Just mud. A lot of mud.) That is not allowed, but I was not going to risk my life on the nearby 55mph roads. I think it is very weird how much effort local towns make to provide drivers with clear detour information and easy alternatives, but how little effort they make for cyclists. Like, there is only one canal trail. How hard could it be to put up a sign? If it was there, it evidently wasn't visible...
- I experienced several barriers which I did not attempt to evade; I followed the signed detours. Some bridges had been demolished, or fallen apart, and I was not going to try to fly over them. I cannot walk on air. Swimming with a bicycle is also not realistic. Fortunately, those cases happened to be areas with very slow car traffic, or almost no car traffic at all, so I was able to find safe routings along roads.
- I only had one vehicle pass me too close. I was nearly driven off the road, which would have sent me down a hill, but fortunately retained my balance. It was luck that this only happened once; the areas of the trail which happened to be impassable to my bicycle were also areas with low and slow traffic. I am annoyed that this driver was so careless, but that was the worst I had it.
- There was at least one point where the trail had to cross a road for cars and I did not realize this, so I ended up following the road instead, a little confused how I could have lost something as linear and unmoving as a canal. For some reason the canal goes inland in some areas. But I think getting lost is not uncommon because I found signage pointing me back to it.
- Several of the towns along the route were extremely cute and I regret that I was not able to spend more time in them. My favorite, New Hope, is utterly disconnected from any sort of transit (and thus I will only ever be able to get there by bike), but it was really, really pretty and ABSOLUTELY BUSTLING with pedestrians. I was pleased with how non-car-dominated it was. There was also what appeared to be a historic (replica? not sure...) train, but I do not think it offers passenger service. (The railroad tracks still physically exist, but they are either only used for freight, or not used for anything at all.) I think I will return to New Hope in the future.
- Several of the houses, not in towns exactly, along the route were also very cute. They reflected a variety of architectural styles, but most were neohistorical in some way and many were actually historical going back a century or more. The area seems to have a decent amount of respect for its roots (compared to many places in the US), although admittedly much of the cuteness of a house is taken away when it is right next to a road featuring 50mph traffic, so this was not universal by any means.
The canal itself was full of water in some areas and empty in others. I could not identify a pattern. Proximity to towns, proximity to construction, width, etc... seemed a little random which parts would be dry. So the canal is not navigable for many miles, and you would need to portage frequently if you were to try to boat up it. But it would be possible for many other miles. The Delaware itself is a monster and after looking closely at the flow rate, I could tell it would be foolhardy to attempt to paddle upstream the river.
I want to take a rest this weekend, so I don't have a date for my next long ride. TBH, I am far more interested in the D&L than the Schuylkill, but it is so much harder to get to. We will see.
15 votes -
Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers - Dad's Bed (2024)
3 votes -
Lego requests California police department stop using their toy heads to cover suspect mugshots on social media
40 votes -
They grow your berries and peaches, but often lack one item: insurance
9 votes -
The fight for abortion pills – In the US, UK and around the world, the backlash against safe, at-home abortion medication is growing
26 votes -
Transit study recommends new express bus service to Kansas City International Airport
5 votes -
$400,000 worth of Playdate game consoles disappear in Las Vegas, hardware maker says
21 votes -
As news deserts expand, US student journalists step up
12 votes -
Joe Biden administration commits $6B to cut US emissions from high-carbon industries
19 votes -
Florida latest to restrict social media for kids as legal battle looms
22 votes -
Cargo ship hits major bridge in Baltimore, triggering collapse (gifted link)
93 votes -
Germany’s solar panel industry, once a leader, is getting squeezed
17 votes -
NASCAR acquires the first paved track it ever raced on
7 votes -
Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of March 25
This thread is posted weekly - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate...
This thread is posted weekly - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.
This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.
5 votes -
After Appalachian hospitals merged into a monopoly, their emergency departments slowed to a crawl
40 votes -
Can a movie change the law? The 1961 film 'Victim' isn't just a tense thriller, it was crafted to serve as a stealthy challenge to a British law that criminalized the very existence of homosexuals.
12 votes -
US Fed’s Jerome Powell ready to support job market, even if it means lingering inflation
7 votes -
G3 geomagnetic storm watches issued for 24-25 March 2024
17 votes -
Historic covered bridges in the US are under threat by truck drivers relying on GPS meant for cars
37 votes -
Denmark was the first to post an ambassador to Silicon Valley. Now, it is leading Europe's diplomats in putting Big Tech on the right side of history.
7 votes -
Why are Americans fighting over no-fault divorce? Maybe they can’t agree what marriage is for.
38 votes -
The hotel guest who wouldn’t leave
25 votes -
I'm looking for a specific beer, for meme purposes
TL;DR - I'm trying to find a way to purchase Chilean Cerveza Cristal in the US for a joke that is very important to a friend of mine. So, some of you may be aware of the current memes surrounding...
TL;DR - I'm trying to find a way to purchase Chilean Cerveza Cristal in the US for a joke that is very important to a friend of mine.
So, some of you may be aware of the current memes surrounding a series of advertisements from a Chilean beer company that interrupted airings of the Star Wars films in an... unconventional way.
Well, my friend is both a huge beer aficionado and a huge Star Wars fan, and he occasionally works with the Star Wars folks at conventions. He's planning some interesting stuff for an upcoming event but can't for the life of him find the stuff here in the US. I haven't been able to turn up a retailer for it either. Does anybody know of a good way to get foreign beer into the US?
19 votes -
State Farm shedding 72,000 home insurance policies in California
29 votes -
Sam Bankman-Fried repeatedly lied to get out of “supervillain” US prison term, FTX CEO alleges
32 votes -
From ‘crookies’ to flavored versions: The French croissant reinvents itself to battle American snacks and attract Gen Z
21 votes -
Borders book store | Bankrupt
9 votes -
Why ban books when you can ban book awards?: Suburban Illinois district cancels youth chosen Caudill Awards
30 votes -
US Speaker Mike Johnson touts GOP wins on migrant detention in funding deal
9 votes -
Israel is a strategic liability for the United States. The special relationship does not benefit Washington and is endangering US interests across the globe.
33 votes -
Why the 2% inflation target?
29 votes -
GM cuts ties with two data firms amid heated lawsuit over driver data
32 votes -
Percival Everett can’t be pinned down
5 votes -
93 years of Shatner
18 votes -
It’s no longer the economy, stupid. America’s hyper-partisan voters express economic sentiments that mirror their politics — this is not true in Europe.
25 votes -
US astronomers fight to save X-ray telescope as NASA dishes out budget cuts
14 votes -
US Food and Drug Administration issues report claiming marijuana has legitimate medical uses - proposes rescheduling
51 votes -
US bill proposing legal immunity for pesticide manufacturers advances. - Bayer is a sponsor
39 votes -
Jacob’s Dream - MAGA meets the Age of Aquarius
3 votes