Lake Tahoe: Great Bike Ride, Even Better Fish Story

Each September round bar cyclists gather in Lake Tahoe for a 72-mile ride around the big, pristine lake.  The fastest time was set in 2010 at 2 hours, 15 minutes and 21.9 seconds.  Race legend has it that local school boy Greg LeMond (he grew up in Reno) completed the 72 miles in 3:15 while still a high school student.  It is not a closed course so traffic and other obstacles can slow progress but the first nine miles do have an escort that gets riders through a series of 25 traffic lights.  The course begins and ends in front of the Zephyr Cove Lodge and riders will have an elevation gain of 3,900 feet.

The SBT crew recently blogged about a ride around Crater Lake in Oregon.  We noted that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.  Lake Tahoe is second.  Lake Tahoe is the creation of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and as the high peaks of the Sierras were pushed up something had to in turn, push down.  This movement of tectonic plates helped take the lake to a maximum depth of almost 1,700 feet.  (Crater Lake is about 300 feet deeper).  Like Crater Lake, Lake Tahoe is nearly as clear with recent water clarity measured at 70 feet.  In the 1960s that clarity was measured down to 100 feet.  The creeping murkiness has not been gradual, scientists studying the lake think it has been only since 2006.  The reason for this cloudiness is goldfish.  And we aren’t talking about the goldfish you kept in a tank as a kid or swallowed stupid drunk in college.  These things are wild Giant Goldfish.  Yes, they do exist.

Researchers are alarmed and not sure how these beasts were able to enter the lake.  They are a problem because they eat constantly thus wiping out the food sources of other native fish.  The round-the-clock feeding leads to just as frequent excreting, and all of that excrement in the water leads to cloudy conditions and lower oxygen supplies.  This in turn leads to the formation of algae.  

Lake Tahoe is at its widest part 22 miles and it is as we mentioned, deep.  Rounding up all of the unwanted goldfish (probably released from simple suburban fish tanks years ago, what enviro-scientists call "aquarium dumping") has proven to be quite difficult.  The Environmental Protection Agency has stepped in to help.  The EPA is experimenting with electro-fishing, an electrical pulse is sent into the depths to stun fish.  The temporarily paralyzed fish then float to the surface.  The Giant Goldfish are then taken while the other species are allowed to recover and go back to their daily routine.  Electro-fishing is a slow process and only removes about 50 fish at a time.  It is believed the fish are outpacing the catching program and they continue to grow.  On average they weigh nearly five pounds and grow to nearly two feet in length.  See the photo for proof.

If you are planning to be a part of the 72-mile Great Lake Tahoe Bike Ride the date is set for September 28, 2013.  Visit the event website at www.laketahoemarathon.com/bike.  It might be a good idea to bring your fishing pole, you may have an awesome fish story to tell. 

Visit our website for a news video of the Goldfish problem in Lake Tahoe, www.stickybottleteam.net.

 

You Will Never Get Lost in Estonia

In the midnight hours of September 28, 1994 the ferry MS Estonia capsized and sank in a swirling and frigid Baltic Sea.  The ship, named for the country she served, was just one of many cruise ferries that transport millions of people annually between the Baltic States, Scandinavia and Europe.  Cruise ferries are large vessels capable of carrying upwards of 2,000 passengers and 500 vehicles on generally overnight or two-day cruises to port cities throughout the North Sea and the Baltic.  The Estonia was bound for Stockholm when she went down.  The ship went to the bottom taking 852 people with her.  It was the worst peacetime maritime disaster in the Baltic Sea.  It was the darkest of many dark chapters to befall Estonia, the tiny Baltic state of just over 1.3 million people.      

Estonia did not fare well under the Soviet system and for many years was one of the poorest non-African countries on the globe.   The ferry disaster only led the country to fall further into decline.  With the Soviets out of Estonia in 1995 and with the country fully embracing a free society Estonia began to move ahead by leaps and bounds.  And also by bandwith.  Estonia today bills itself as the “most wired country on earth.”  It is the unofficial WiFi capital of the world.  Almost immediately after the fall of communism in the Soviet Bloc, Estonia embraced technology.  Pent up demand for the modern world manifested itself with the now free country’s enthusiastic acceptance of the internet.   

Today, the World Wide Web and its capabilities are woven into the fabric of the country.   A state-wide public internet infrastructure is everywhere from the usual hotels, cafés, and government buildings but also to state forests, beaches, and small shops.  Soon 100% of Estonian schools will have WiFi.  Estonian doctors provide e-prescriptions, voters cast their votes online, commuters pay bus fare with smart phones...  And this is from a country that for many years had landline telephones in only half of all homes.  This positive trajectory in the country led three Tallinn residents (the Estonian capital city) to invent a method of conversation that combined the technologies of instant messaging and webcams.  They called it Skype.    

All of this WiFi (look for the signs, pictured) means excellent biking in Estonia because with your smart phone SAT/NAV you will never get lost.  Old Town Tallinn dates back to medieval times with some structures and churches built in the 1300s.  All of that history juxtaposed with all of that new technology is stunning so begin your ride here.  Tallinn, due to its age still retains many cobblestone streets so be aware but the city offers plenty to see and do and for history and culture fans Tallinn offers a great ride.  The town is the oldest capital city in Northern Europe and parts of the Old Town section are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Don’t let the old world charm fool you, Tallinn is a modern city.  A ride out of town will bring bikers to very rural locales.  Half of the population lives in Tallinn meaning the rest of the country offers little in terms of population overcrowding and congestion.      

Estonia has five National Parks and they aren’t hard to find--over 18% of the country is protected land area.  The SBT crew recommends picking one, setting the coordinates into your phone and start pedaling.  Estonia is about the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined with 50% of it forested so you will enjoy your ride with our deciduous and coniferous friends.  The one requirement the country has for bicyclists is reflectors.  They are 100% mandatory.  The best part of the little country may be all of the saunas (just part of the culture) and there is nothing like warm steam after a long ride.    

We have a travel video of some tourists visiting Tallinn, Estonia on our website www.stickybottleteam.net.

Tallinn, Estonia with the Gulf of Finland to the north.  The Estonian forest begins to creep in....

Rome was not Biked in a Day

The world’s oldest standing army protects a city state of about 110 acres with a populace of around 800 inhabitants.  That army is the Swiss Guards, the personal body guard of all popes.  Founded by Pope Julius II way back in 1506 the Swiss Guards really are Swiss.  The first requirement is that the men come from Switzerland. They must also be single and Catholic.  The alpine country has provided palace guards and protection soldiers to European courts for centuries.  The Papal Swiss Guard is the last unit in existence.   In 2006 the army celebrated 500 years of service.  

The Sticky Bottle Team brings to our dear readers a bike ride of Vatican City.  Next month the eyes of the world will focus on the world’s smallest country as a new Pope is named.  Vatican City is a walled state, it has its own unique currency (but use your Euros) and although it has no official language the most common is not Italian, but Latin.  Vatican City also has, without saying, the largest cathedral in the world--St. Peter’s Basilica.  

A bike ride of Rome is a monumental (literally) undertaking with scores of architectural highlights, museums and much more.  The Seven Hills of Rome present a unique challenge each on their own or collectively.  It is best to break Rome up into pieces--we are starting with Vatican City.  The country is ruled over by the Pope who serves as the legislature, the executive branch and the court system.  The Corpo della Gendarmeria is the police force.     

Vatican City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is the only such site that is an entire state.  A ride of Vatican City will put riders face to face with the works of Botticelli, Bernini, Raphael and Michelangelo. The Basilica and the Sistine Chapel and the vast and sprawling Vatican Gardens will amaze.

At roughly 55 acres the Vatican Gardens covers just about half of the city.  The gardens were created by Pope Nicholas III as a place for quiet solitude and prayer.  Orchards, lawns and formal plantings dominate the Gardens.  Before you plan on a ride through Vatican Gardens, stop.  Of the many places to see and visit in Vatican City, the Gardens is the only place that requires a guided tour.    

For those riders who want to stretch their legs and get moving then the Tiber River provides an escape.  The Tiber, the lifeblood of Rome, flows through the heart of the city and offers a good ride out of the metropolis.  Travel sites recommend that bike riders be assertive when riding in Roman traffic, there is an understanding between drivers and riders.  So, if you can make it a couple of blocks from St. Peter’s Basilica you will find a paved bike path running on the west bank of the Tiber.  The trek north will pass boats and several floating homes. At some point riders may choose to jump up the bank a bit to the Via Capoprati (“along the bike path”) to continue to enjoy the ride and scenery. 

We have a video of the Vatican Gardens on our website at www.stickybottleteam.net.  Ciao!

A Colorful Bike Ride in London’s East End

The East End.  For decades those three words sent shivers down the backs of Londoners.  The area known for its docks, railways and industries has a rather sordid past.  From the earliest times the East End has fought the good fight.  First the Plague, then cholera, and later typhus and tuberculosis, all with little success.  The overcrowding and poverty endemic to the East End made it a tough place to survive.  Living conditions were spartan and job prospects few and far between.  Crime was just an accepted part of the East End’s fabric.  The slums produced the requisite gambling and prostitution.  Those vices came together to produce London’s most famous serial killer—Jack the Ripper.  History is not sure of the list of Ripper victims nor to this day has his identity been confirmed.   All of the murders remain unsolved.  For years the East End was not a preferred destination for locals or visitors.  That has changed.

Tourists are coming to the East End.  Yes, some come for the oft-crowded Jack the Ripper night time tours but others are coming for art.  We here at the SBT crew recommend you bring a bike.  Let’s ride the East End. 

A ride in the East End is colorful (or, for our UK friends, colourful).  It used to be called graffiti, now it is simply known as “street art” and it is cool.  Walking tours are popular but you may be able to see more and do more on a bike--just remember Englanders drive on the other side and those big buses will leave a mark if you aren’t careful.  Who are these artists?  Well, the go by the nom de plume D*Face, ROA, Stik and Vhils.  Some actually use their given names: Conor Harrington and Shepherd Fairey.  

Recently the reclusive artist Banksy was in the news.  His iconic image of a young boy sewing a Union Jack flag was stolen (pictured) from the wall it had called home in the East End.  It isn’t easy to steal this art form.  In order to abscond with the Banksy work the entire mural was removed with a chisel.  The work showed up in Miami, USA of all places for sale under the guise “Slave Labor.”  It should fetch up to $700,000 USD at auction.  The sale is legal due to the fact that British law only protects public art over 50 years old.  The ethics of such a theft and subsequent sale are deeply troubling and East Enders are demanding the work be returned and protections be put into effect to save current and future street art projects.   Stay tuned for further developments.  UPDATE: The work was pulled from the auction by the auction house proprietor.  What happens next is up in the air.

A bike ride of the East End will reveal the art in Brick Lane, Shoreditch, Hoxton, Hackney and Islington.  Brick Lane is unique.  It doesn’t smell like London.  Curry is in the air in Brick Lane.  Cultures collide in the area and sometimes the collisions are real between the native residents and “new” inhabitants from Bangladesh.  The heart of the city center is known as Banglatown and curry house restaurants are ever-present.  But it is in Brick Lane that Banksy’s work is most prominent and worth the ride.  

For a ride in the East End find parking where you can and pedal up one street and down the next.  It’s that simple.  Do you still need to leave the East End at sundown?  Well, one travel site offered this advice: “…the normal precautions after dark are advisable. People of the East End have pride in their homes, so it would be wise to tread carefully around regulars in pubs and bars in places like Whitechapel, Mile End and Bethnal Green, but most people are warm, friendly and interested in you as a traveler providing you behave with the respect and deference due from a visitor.”  Sounds like good advice.

We have a video of East End street art on our website www.stickybottleteam.net. 

San Francisco Beer Week Bike Ride

Last week was Beer Week in the Bay Area and one group of riders in the East Bay are kindred spirits of the Sticky Bottle Team.  They combine rides with beers, craft beers to be exact.  They call themselves the Grand Cru and each month they organize a ride to a local craft brewery or beer event in the San Francisco Bay area.  They tack on a fee which supports the East Bat Bicycle Coalition.  The coalition works to improve bicycling in the region.  Last year the Beer Week ride raised $1,200 and the funding was used to support the work of the coalition in securing 20 miles of bike lanes in Oakland and helped with funding of bicycle safety classes.  

Major brewers are doubling down on a crowded market place.  Last year, the brewers of Corona opened the largest brewery in the world.  The plant produces 20 million bottles daily.  Four of the world’s biggest brewers accounted for half of all of the world’s beer.  Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, the UK’s SABMiller, Dutch Heineken, and Denmark's Carlsberg together have 50% of the global market share.  The margins are tight for the little guys.  

With that being said craft beers continue to enjoy success.  It is true that fresh beer tastes better.  Small batch brews with fresh ingredients create remarkable tastes.  The best way to enjoy this flavor is to do it in person rather than wait for the marketing, shipping, and distribution from brewery to freight to warehouse, to truck and so on to reach your palette.  

The Grand Cru Beer Week ride (officially “The Tour de Beire”) was held this past Saturday and began at Drake’s Brewery.  Drake’s opened in 1989 following the conversion of an abandoned Caterpillar heavy equipment factory.  For 21 years the facility in San Leandro, California has produced fresh quality beers for sale on site.  The Drake’s tasting room is open five days a week (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).  One way craft brewers survive and thrive is to eliminate the cost of distribution.  So, if you want the fine nectar of a craft brew go to the source.  Think of the old idiom: “If you build a better mousetrap, people will beat a path to your door.”   

Pyramid Brewery and Alehouse was another stop on the Beer Week ride.  Pyramid opened in 1984 and this year the company will brew 30 varieties.  One thing the craft brewers excel at is the seasonal brew.  The small batch system allows for frequent and easy recipe changes.  Pyramid has five West Coast locations.  This is one way to support a distribution network—create your own by opening additional craft brew locations.

 

So, how about that ride…  It is about 20 miles from Drakes to Pyramid (with other brewery stops in between).  Riders brought everything they normally take on a ride plus ID, cash, an appetite and a thirst.  A nice section of the ride was along the San Francisco Bay Trail (pictured).  The Bay is to one side and downtown Berkeley to the other.   Riders entered Oakland and for a brief time cruised along Mandela Parkway in the green confines of Memorial Park.  The park remembers the victims of the 1989 earthquake and the Cypress Freeway collapse.   The trail bisecting the park is part of the new West Oakland Bay Trail.

For more information visit www.thegrandcru.org.  Check out their future rides and events.  

Enjoy Presidents Day on Mount Vernon Trail

Monday is Presidents Day in the States.  Originally the day was held to honor the birth date of George Washington.  Approved by an Act of Congress in 1879, it was first known as Washington’s Birthday and for nearly 150 years it has been an official Federal Holiday.  In the early 1980s Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (February 12, 1809) was also made an official holiday and part of Washington’s Birthday celebrations.  Previously, Lincoln tributes and holidays were on the state level.  Through the push of advertisers and retailers the two birthdays became one big holiday—Presidents Day and when Saturday and Sunday are thrown in we have Presidents Day weekend.  The stores and malls will be packed.  

Federal holidays effectively shut down America for a day.  No government offices, no schools, no mail delivery…  So, get on the saddle and go for a bike ride.  And while we are talking about George Washington let’s take that ride in Alexandria, Virginia.  What better ride than on the Mount Vernon Trail?  So let’s go... 

Start the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail at Theodore Roosevelt Island Park located at the northern-most end of the Trail.  But don’t think you can ride yet--no bicycling is permitted on the island.  We just want to use the parking lot.  Admission and parking are free.   You will walk your bike across a foot bridge to the Mount Vernon Trail.  If you want to get loosened up before your ride, take a walk around the island.  It’s an amazingly serene place and you will not believe you are right in the middle of the nation’s capital. 

Once on the trail and on your ride you will enjoy the paved roadway.  At some points along the trail boardwalks take over for the asphalt due to swampy land conditions.  You will also enjoy a few bridge crossings (some may require a dismount).  You will soon approach the Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac, look to your right and you will see Arlington National Cemetery, always a moving sight.  The Potomac will be just to your left the entire ride south.  At any point during the ride you will be able to see bald eagles.  The big birds have been nesting in the region for years feasting on a bounty of fish provided by the river.  

As you approach the Columbia Island Marina you will pass the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial.  Dedicated in 1934 it honors seamen lost during World War I.  Columbia Island itself is dominated by Lady Bird Johnson Park, named for the former First Lady to honor her efforts to make D.C. a “More Beautiful Capital.”  It was Mrs. Johnson’s idea to plant the now famous cherry trees throughout the district in 1968.  Originally a gift from Japan in 1912, the trees were planted solely on the White House grounds. 

Exiting Columbia Island will send the rider under a series of four bridges as the trail meanders peacefully along for a few minutes.  The trail then comes close—literally with feet—of the Reagan National Airport.

Once past the sprawling expanse of “DCA” the trail enters the Old Dominion of Virginia.  Next up is downtown Old Town Alexandria.  Things may get tricky here as roads need to be crossed so be aware of traffic.   This is about the mid-point of your ride.  The next few miles will have you riding through some tidal marsh and here is where the boardwalks come into the ride.  Next up: the suburbs. So think of the standard four bedroom, two car garage colonial and keep pedaling.

The trail leaves suburbia, enters forest for a brief time and finally arrives at Mount Vernon, the farm and home of our first president.  The Georgian estate was designed and built by George Washington in 1757.  The Mount Vernon Ladies Association oversees the 400 acre site.  It is open 365 days a year and admission is $17 for adults.  A man known for many things: soldier, statesmen and scholar, Washington was also one of the most forward-thinking farmers ever seen in America.  The mule was Washington’s invention.  He wanted an animal with the size of a horse with the strength of a donkey.  He got what he wanted in the mule.  Recently, through archeological research it was discovered that Washington was a master distiller.  In 2009 the Mount Vernon distillery was opened to the public and people of age can purchase Mount Vernon Whiskey made from Washington’s own recipe.  Pick some up for the ride north, a small bottle should fit in your jersey pocket (drink it when you get home).

We have a brief video of Mount Vernon on our website www.stickybottleteam.net.