Final Frame/The Donut Lover's Guide to Bicycle Commuting Returns

August 22, 2010: the first photo I took of my (then) new 19" aluminum bike frame.

Several years ago, I built my own mountain bike. I used a plain black aluminum hard tail frame I bought online. 

That bike went on a lot of adventures - The Kingdom Trails in Vermont were especially grand - and I went over the handlebars a few times. Still, I didn't have that frame in place very long - for I eventually switched over to a full suspension frame and the black frame was turned into a single speed.

My workshop is like The Giving Tree in reverse. 

But that frame wasn't in place very long either, for I raided that bike for parts for other projects, and the frame was eventually stripped completely - and looks like this today. 

That frame made me the person I am today, for building a mountain bike - or building any bike for the first time - was just a great experience for me and unlocked something in my creativity. The photo of the down tube was even the logo of this site for a couple years. 

However, I need more space in my shop and, still unable to weld aluminum, that frame just had to go. So when I put together a box of pedals, seats, cranks, tires and other things to donate to the Bridgeport Bike Co-Op, that frame was added to the pile. 

I'm not very sentimental about physical objects - if I did I'd become a hoarder - but I suddenly, today, realized that the black frame with the red and silver DIYBIKING.COM letters (hand placed, like on every bike I have) missed out on a lot. My recumbent. The Dahon Matrix. The Mystery from South Norwalk. My Bike Friday New World Tourist. The Bikeducken. And, most recently, my city bike. They've all experienced the city of Stamford and the wonder of travel more than the Founding Frame, and I felt like the black frame needed a final journey - like the tribute show Ed Sullivan never got. 

I never even brought it to Lorca, so today I decided to do just that. On foot.

Moments after entering, I learned that the rumors were true: Lorca is creating its own apple cider donuts in-house, and will be doing so at least through November. The black frame and The Donut Lover's Guide to Bicycle Commuting: both are roots of this web site, and both were coming back into the spotlight. 

Also, I'm not sure if you follow me on Twitter or not, but as you probably guessed from my reaction to Tim Cook's presentation this week: the only 'apple' product that interests me is followed by the words: 'cider donut.'*

I was also thinking about buying a Samsung Galaxy Tab S and taping $100 to the back instead of buying a new iPad but that's neither here nor there. 

I bought four donuts and walked down Bedford Street carrying the frame and the bag of donuts in the same hand. I wasn't sorry I was giving the frame up, but rather hopeful: it's a great frame, it got to go to an outstanding coffee shop - and I'm sure someone will soon turn it into their own bike.

Because I don't have a bike trailer big enough to carry everything safely,**, I was forced to bring my car to Bridgeport. I still used my homemade bike trailer as a hand truck to drag the parts to BPT Creates. 

                      Oct. 17, 2014: the last photo I've taken of the Black Frame.

I dropped everything off inside, and it wasn't until I was dragging the empty trailer back to where I had parked my car that I realized I had taken the last photograph of my black frame. Great memories, and I think I'm honoring the frame the right way by allowing someone else to get the same joy I had when building a bike. 

If you live in the Bridgeport area and want to donate some used bikes or bike parts to the Bikeport Co-Op, please let them know at bikeportct@gmail.com. Also: they are doing their monthly Big Bike Ride tomorrow at 1:00pm (starts at McLevy Green) so check it out. 

Also: go to Lorca and have some of their apple cider donuts. I have no experience with the latter product but Leyla (the owner of Lorca) is to baked goods what Walter White is to meth. Thanks for reading and thanks for riding.

*and pie.

**I will remedy that problem. 

Bicycle Art Show at Lorca This Month (It's My Art, But Don't Let That Stop You)

The other day I was riding my winter bike (which cost $8) and I came across this on Rt. 106. Ha, I thought as I reached to pick it up. Now I'm riding a $3 bike.

Let me back up a second.

Lorca, the little coffee shop on 125 Bedford Street in Stamford displays art from different people each month. And in March, some of my works will be on display and you are invited to the opening reception on Saturday, March 1st from six to seven PM.

I've had stuff displayed before - my late grandfather's old Underwood typewriter was turned into something else and somehow won best sculpture in the Rowayton Art Center's juried show last year.

That piece, called 'No Words,' will actually be on display again at the 'Speechless' exhibit in the Bruce S. Kershner gallery at the Fairfield Public Library beginning February 7th.

And the mask you saw last week I began making it in my class at the Silvermine Art Center isn't in my house anymore because it will be on display at the Greenwich Art Society's 97th annual juried show that opens this Friday night. The action figure wasn't part of the display.

I told my metal sculpting class instructor about the exhibit by starting with: "You know that thing I was making when I set fire to your desk last week? Well, it…"

(Bob: If you're reading this: I really am sorry about your desk. I hope the papers that burned to ashes weren't important and I will keep better track of my slag when welding from now on).

But the Lorca show is different; not only is it taking place at an outstanding coffee shop (the 'quiche of the day' posts on your news feed are among the most worthwhile things I read on Facebook) but all of what is on display is my stuff.

So Lorca wanted to put together a video called 'Coffee With the Creator' and ask me all kinds of questions. You can see the video here.

The first question asked me what my favorite Lorca drink is. That was easy. It's a cappuccino, because a cappuccino is the very first caffeinated drink I had the first time I traveled abroad.

I remember flying into London, then jumping on another plane to go to Slovenia. Barely conscious, I sat on a bus that took us from the airport to the hotel in Ljublijana. And on the radio of the bus - I swear this is true - was Ray Parker's 'Ghostbusters' theme. You're not really aware of how strange and beautiful international travel can be when you're looking at a foreign country for the first time through the windows of a bus with half-shut eyes while 'Who you gonna call!?' rings out.

(Unrelated: I too mourn the passing of Harold Ramis this week and believe we should honor him with a tombstone in the shape of a proton pack with a groundhog peeking out from one side and a gopher on the other).

But anyway: since that day I associate cappuccinos with traveling abroad, and most of the photographs on display at Lorca are shots I've made all over the world, and I'd be happy to tell you about them if you come to the opening reception on Saturday evening. In addition to the photographs and photo print art there will be one work that isn't like the others.

I'm also hoping the art inspires people to look out for cyclists - and pick up bicycles themselves. After all, this is March and this miserable winter is finally running out the clock. And you don't need to look at the just released annual report from the Connecticut Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Board to know there will be a lot of cyclists on the road this season -  not just riding at night, either.

But anyway: the $5 I found on Rt. 106 this past Sunday I cleaned in a snowbank before I ran it to Lorca to buy a $5 gift certificate, which I gave to Leyla (Lorca's owner) and asked her to give it to a stranger. Just tell that person about the show, I said.

In case you're wondering, since I am still freelancing/between careers, $5 is about all I have to spend on any kind of marketing budget for this show, so any word you put out on The Twitter or elsewhere about the show would be helpful. Whether you do that or not, please come to Lorca on Saturday evening at 6pm for the opening reception. Failing that, come to Lorca at anytime anyway to have a cappuccino and think about traveling abroad, cycling, creating your own artwork, or all three. Thanks for reading and thanks for riding.

Stop - And Drink the Coffee

So when I was using the single speed I just built on its maiden voyage in the Springdale section of Stamford, the chain fell off. When I stopped to put the chain back on, I looked over to my right and noticed a filthy $1 bill lying on the street.

I wish that happened every time the chain fell off that day: I'd have had another $13 (I since replaced the irksome chain with a better one).

Picking up that dollar reminded me of the big story a few weeks back: Starbucks had a new cup. A white one. Plastic. Reusable. And it cost one dollar. 

Unless I am stocking up on hurricane supplies, I tend not to go to Starbucks for any reason, much less to drink coffee. I prefer to grind my beans at home and fling four dollars out the kitchen window. 

But now, I had a reason to return: friends of DIYBIKING.COM will recall Bike to Work Week 2011 when I tested a number of coffee cup lids, including one from Starbucks. Now Starbucks has its new reusable cup, and from what I saw on the news (yes, this was covered 'on the news') the lid looked different from that of the one I had tested. 

Even though I don't drink Starbucks, I know some of you do, so to my most loyal readers who may be wondering if it is worth spending $1 on a reusable cup, I offer this.

It is what it looks like: as you can see I have the coffee cup holder on the handlebars of the DiamondSchwinn/hurricane aftermath bike, which is to this blog what Buster is to the Mythbusters. Once again, I have a foam board collar and some white sheets of paper so I could evaluate how the cup would perform in a real-life setting: namely, biking to work or to a friend's house. 

And believe me: lids matter. Take a look at the picture below and see the difference among three to-go cups:

From right to left: You've got your common Solo Traveler lid. Easy to sip but the uncovered opening allows coffee to spurt skywards when hitting a bump in pavement, but there's a tiny little hole in the crescent so any coffee spilled onto the lid drips back into the cup.

The middle cup is the Solo Traveler Plus - the Rolls Royce of disposable coffee cup lids. I desperately want retailers and coffee shops to switch to this one: it has a tiny lever that allows you to open and close the opening at will, which makes for a very clean commute.

The cup on the far left is the reusable Starbucks cup. Unlike the other two, it is reusable but the lid has no moving parts, so I was immediately wary of the opening. Additionally, it didn't even have the onboard drain hole of the Solo Traveler, so I was pretty sure this wasn't going to be a spotless coffee run. 

Now after the messy and scalding fiasco with the last Starbucks test, I decided not to actually use Starbucks coffee. Don't go all did-Beyonce-lip-sync-the-national-anthem? on me: the test is all about the cup, which I already had, and in my home there is usually a coffee pot with anywhere from zero to six cups of dark nectar inside. The afternoon of the test,  there was almost two cup's worth of cold coffee in there, and I thought it would be a good stand-in for Starbucks.

Another difference this time was the climate:  Bike to Work Week takes place in May, which is a month created for cycling outdoors. This is January - and when the temperature is in the teens or below, you want to put something on your face that isn't sunscreen.

Since normal bike glasses fog up when wearing the neoprene face mask, I use Lindsay Vonn-inspired ski googles. I admit it does look rather peculiar (I noticed a pedestrian at the corner of Broad and Bedford taking a picture of me) but the mask is so comfortable I often forget I'm wearing it. However, if you ever dress like this and have to run an errand at the bank, make sure you take it off before you go inside.

Notice my GoPro HD Hero 2 camera mounted to record the action. I know, I know: the web is full of Red Bull-guzzling guys who are taping themselves base jumping, sky diving and going down dangerous rapids. I, on the other hand, cover spilling coffee.

So I set off, went one mile, and had predictable results.

It didn't go well. If you are unlucky enough to have one of these Starbucks travel cups, try not to travel anywhere with them. And if you do, take a cordless drill and add a tiny hole to the center of the lid so the spilled coffee can drain back into the cup as oppose to creating an on-board Petri dish like you can see in the photo.

Later, I opened the GoPro video. Some coffee landed on the lens 3/4 through the journey, but other than that it came out beautifully. Unfortunately, neither YouTube nor Blogger can stand to be around it, so you'll have to take my word for it until I sort out what went wrong and can post it here. 

It was an unsuccessful multimedia presentation, so later I took the recumbent to Lorca, a new coffee shop on Bedford Street in Stamford.

I ordered a coffee and Churros; a delicious treat that is probably in the donut family. And I stayed in Lorca to enjoy it.

I sipped the coffee and thought a while. I also ate the churros and thought some more. I then realized something, and you can read this next paragraph with Willie Robertson intonation as he concludes an episode of 'Duck Dynasty.':

"You know, a lot of times people are in a big rush, and often they feel like they need coffee in order to get where they are going even faster. But there's more important things than taking your favorite drink when you're on the go or capturing the experience in high definition. Sitting still with friends and family, savoring ever sip of your time with them, and really enjoying being where you are matter a whole lot more. And the best reusable cup is a ceramic mug from your local coffee shop."

Now read this next line with my intonation: Thanks for reading and thanks for riding.

The Donut Lover's Guide To Bicycle Commuting: Michael Jackson Donuts at Market

Two years ago this week Michael Jackson died, and I couldn't think of a better way to mark the occasion than riding to Market in Stamford and eating the donuts that were served at his funeral.

Let me back up a second.

Market is a restaurant in Stamford at 249 Main Street across from Columbus Park. With a menu described as New American it has been on Fairfield County Weekly's 'Best Restaurant Overall' list at least a couple of times. I've gone there for dinner several times and it's the kind of place UBS executives need to dine before they consider leaving town.

On the dessert menu sits donuts that were served at Michael Jackson's funeral. Really. The family ordered $250 worth and had them shipped to California in time for the service. It was covered on TMZ and all over the local news. I remember thinking that between great beaches, great restaurants, Jerry Springer and Maury Povich being taped here and the now famous donuts, Stamford truly has it all.

Why these donuts? According to legend,* Michael Jackson was passing through Stamford late one night many years ago when he and his driver stopped at Market for a treat. When ordering the donuts, Jackson was so taken by the sight and smell of them he immediately removed a glove to pick one up. At that moment, his driver said: "No, Michael. Just use this little fork they give you."

Jackson used the fork and was so distracted by the sugary dessert he forgot to put his glove back on. But he never forgot Market in Stamford.

So I got to ride to work on the Dahon Matrix. But I was so early I knew I would miss the elusive 'donut window' at the Bedford Street Diner and I didn't have time to go elsewhere. But at the end of the day, I realized there wasn't any reason why donuts should be always be confined to the morning hours. So I decided to stop at Market on the way home, chaining the bike to the parking meter.

Since I arrived before 5:30, I was able to pick out any seat I wanted at the bar where I promptly ordered a drink and asked for a dessert menu. Right there on the menu, there they were. Although they weren't always called this (I believe the pre-Michael Jackson funeral name was 'Ricotta Donuts') the description does not them justice.

I placed my order with the friendly bartender and waited a short while for my donuts, which as you can see from the picture, cost $8. True, you can buy quite a few Dunkin Donuts Munchkins for that amount but remember: they come in a cardboard box. These donuts come like this.

How they appear on the plate is one thing, but I was reading an email when the bartender brought them over, and the smell of cinnamon and sugar alerted me to their presence and contribute to the great presentation.

If you have MJ's Famous Donuts at Market, it is a great idea to use the little metal fork. But I don't recommend picking up an entire donut all at once. Instead, carefully use the fork to cut each donut in half (skilled aficionados can even cut them into 1/3rds) so you have the maximum amount of surface area available to soak up the crème angalaise. Ideally, you want to twist the fork in such a way you can't see the surface of the donut. Regardless of how you proceed with the Market donuts, the outcome is the same.

I stayed at the bar a little while before settling the bill. Then I left Market planning to return for dinner soon with my wife – possibly to get the arrangement of miniature ice cream cones along with the Michael Jackson donuts as dessert.

I recommend dining at Market anytime, but if you do it this week be sure to have 'MJ's Famous Doughnuts'. Riding there and back wearing one cycling glove is up to you.

(Follow me on Twitter at @michaelknorris)

* that I just made up

The Donut Lover's Guide to Bicycle Commuting: The DiamondSchwinn's Debut

After littering the floor of the welding room with slag and spending time with a variety of brake and shifter bits I had this:

For readers just joining us: the bike you see above is (or rather, was) a 1991 Diamondback Sorrento which is the latest in DIYBIKING.COM's Saved from the Scrapheap series. I thought I'd take an bike that was in bad shape and make it worse/get welding practice by cutting in half and welding it back together with the top tube and bottom tube from separate Schwinns. As I discovered, cutting a bike in half can be very traumatic for the bike.

However, the operation was a complete success. Once I had joined the bike together I set to work on the front shifter that had failed, and in this instance 'set to work' is euphemism for 'replaced the old push-button shifter with an even older one.'

The variable shifter is hooked to the front derailleur and worked like a charm. Considering I rarely use a front derailleur shifter no matter how reliable it is, this seemed like a good option.

You'll also notice I've attached a temporary mount for my Garmin Edge 205 bike GPS. My DiamondSchwinn may look ugly, but it isn't leaving the house without knowing where it's going or how fast it is getting there.

In addition to the derailleur problem, I replaced the shift and brake cables that were worn or rusted through. Since my mountain bike project gave me the skills for that, it wasn't too much of a problem (but I do not own the proper cable cutters, so I was forced to use tin snips with varying degrees of success).

I know that the cables are pretty but the welds are rather ugly. When I carried the DiamonSchwinn up the stairs, I could hear slag that had made its way into the top tube rattling around.

I did have faith in what I made. So much so that I decided to ride it to work. Seven miles round trip can't be faked, and for those of you who know Stamford's roads, there are a lot of bumps which would test the integrity of my work.

Keen to get as much speed out of the bike as possible I attached an aerodynamic top tube bag I bought from  Pacific Swim Bike Run to put some quick fix tools in. The better bike box was reserved for my Day Planner.

And, of course, donuts.

I thought it would be a triumphant ride: Straight through Stamford, up Bedford Street and stopping at the Bedford Street Diner for a couple of donuts before continuing on to the office. I figured that would prove that the DiamondSchwinn had what it took and that I wasn't as terrible at welding as I used to be.

Since I had a long day at work ahead of me I left early. The bumps were rough. The frame was stiff. The stares were frequent. But I rode without incident and made it to the Bedford Street Diner around 6:40. The Bedford Street Diner, which is the home of the best donuts in Stamford I've found so far, is also the home of the 'One Dollar Cone' but now it just said it was the home of the 'One' so I didn't know if they were in the process of changing the sign or were going to host a screening of The Matrix.

But I couldn't puzzle over that (nor was I wondering why the pictured ice cream cone in the sign looks like little mushroom cloud) because I had donuts on my mind. I stepped to the register and made my order.

Unfortunately, I was given bad news: the donuts weren't made yet. Yes, the Bedford Street Diner has a 'donut window' much like the Space Shuttle has when it needs to land.  I was disappointed but I got over it somewhat when I bought a couple of oatmeal raisin cookies instead.

When I left the diner, something else was about to disappoint me: the weather. Rain was starting to trickle out of the sky, so I knew I needed to get to my office fast to avoid an unexpected downpour.

On the rest of Bedford Street, the DiamondSchwinn went fast and surpassed 20 miles an hour in places. I managed to make it to work before the rain really started to come down and rolled the bike into an absent co-workers cubicle before starting my workday, at my desk, with my oatmeal raisin cookies.

At the end of the day, the weather had cleared up and became sunny, so I got ready to ride the DiamondSchwinn home.

The bike was again stared at from some of the motorists, but it was holding together and moving a lot faster than most of them. Some of the bumps and potholes really did make me miss my suspension fork and Cane Creek Thudbuster seatpost on my other bikes, but on this day, I didn't mind.When I got home, I carried the bike into the porch with a smile on my face.

On this day, I learned two important facts: first, the Bedford Street Diner has a donut window, so if you want to get donuts there, try not to do it before quarter to seven in the morning.

Second, I can weld bike frames.

(Follow me on Twitter at @michaelknorris)

The Donut Lover's Guide To Bicycle Commuting: When You're In Greenwich

When I bought my Honda Element five years ago October, I knew it would be the only car between my wife and I for the forseable future. So when I landed on the Element while searching for a new car, the closest dealership was in Greenwich, Connecticut; a very wealthy suburb of New York City that borders Stamford. Those facts put together meant that if I were to drop the car off for a service, the Metro North would have to be involved, and once I bought it the folding Dahon Matrix played a key role.
 
Early Tuesday morning, I put the Matrix into the car and drove down I-95 south to take the Arch Street exit into Greenwich. A few quick turns took me past the iconic Miller Motorcars of Greenwich where I peeked at the Bentleys, the Ferraris and the other cars without bike racks as cool as mine.  After I took the first left past Greenwich Avenue, I arrived at the Honda dealership where I promptly removed the Matrix and stepped in to fill out paperwork for the 60,000 mile service.

Once I was finished I got on the bike and pedaled back the way I came, but I didn't have to go far. The Greenwich train station is less than a 1/4 mile from the Honda place, and seeing that there was a nice deli called The Olive Branch just next to it and I knew I'd have to wait for my train, I decided to stop for a donut.

When I went inside though, I was in for a slight letdown: the man behind the counter amiably told me they didn't have donuts that day, so I had to settle on a blueberry muffin. As I found out later, the muffin was quite good, but if you favor donuts The Olive Branch in Greenwich may not be the most reliable option. But the place is so nice you'll feel like you can check for donuts frequently.

With the muffin in the Dahon's saddlebags, I pushed the bike into the station and carried it up the stairs to the platform, where I pushed it gently along, past the men and women waiting to get to work on the next New York bound train, to get to the elevator so I could cross to the other side of the tracks.

Once I got there, I pulled out the little hex wrench I have to carry with the Matrix and transformed the bike into its Metro-North friendly form.

While I was waiting for my train, I paced up and down the platform just watching the morning, and I took a quick picture of the pedestrian bridge I had pushed the Dahon across just minutes before.

Shortly after, one of the new M-8 trains arrived to take the passengers waiting on the New York side to Manhattan.

I wasn't as lucky as those passengers: when my train arrived a few minutes later, it was one of the older, Don Draper-era trains that made headlines over the winter because they broke down frequently. But on the plus side, the ticket from Greenwich to Stamford is only $2.25, and even though the trains are old, they still move at a fast clip. I know this because I own a Garmin Edge 205 bike GPS - a fantastic bike computer in that it can be easily moved from one bike to another - and sometimes I forget to turn it off when I get on a train.

Since there weren't many people on the train, I unfolded the Dahon a minute or two before the train arrived in Stamford, and within fifteen seconds of the doors opening, I was on the road. I headed up Washington Boulevard and passed the Stamford Government Center (just beyond it is the Trump Parc Stamford building which still has units for sale). It was a bit chilly that morning but the sun had finally come out.

I arrived at work without incident, and leaned the Dahon against my office bike and set off on a typical white collar day, only I was expecting a call from Honda around lunchtime to tell me that they had found parrots living in the engine or some other issue that involved a delay and lots of extra money. As it turned out, my paranoia was unfounded: Around 11:30, the garage called and said the Element had no problems and I could pick it up after 1:00. I looked up the outbound train times and planned a just-in-time arrival so I could spend a little time riding around Greenwich. I then looked up the return train times but then remembered why I was going to Greenwich in the first place.

Upon arrival, I rode the Dahon past the Honda place and up some of the side streets. I debated whether I wanted to go to Greenwich Bicycles and say hello to the owner, Rob (who had sold me the Dahon Matrix in the first place) but knowing my inability to grasp time when I'm in a quality bike shop, I changed my mind and remembered my donut denial from earlier that morning.

So I stopped at the Black Forest Pastry Shop on Lewis Street. No donuts. Thwarted again. The black and white cookie I bought was an excellent stand-in.

After the indulgence, I decided to limit my treat intake to only one baked good per day of Honda service. Since the Element has been a pretty reliable car so far, I figured I wouldn't be able to resume the Greenwich Donut Search until mid-summer.

But the day after I got the car back, I received a catalog in the mail from Greenwich Bicycles, and they are having a big sale from April 1 through April 3. It looks like a great opportunity to check out new bikes, browse for new tools, and maybe, just maybe, find a donut in Greenwich. 

(Follow me on Twitter at @michaelknorris)

The Donut Lover's Guide To Bicycle Commuting

 
I read somewhere that 40% of all car trips are less than two miles. Sounds about right. This week, 100% of the time that I was riding my bike to work, donuts were involved.

Okay, so I biked to work only once. My office is 3.5 miles from my home. I'm not an unlucky commuter who has to rely on I-95 to get to work, but I have to go through the middle of Stamford each day to get to my office.

Most of the time I use my SUV, which gets about 24 miles per gallon if I drive it slowly (and I do). To the annoyance of other Fairfield County motorists, I don't speed up to red lights but let the car coast up to the light and brake at the last possible moment. I try not to run red lights, which is an activity which has apparently lost all stigma (Once, when I had just stopped at a red light in Stamford, I saw a Volvo wagon with a 'BABY ON BOARD' sign in the back race past me to go through the light and up the I-95 on-ramp).

Gas at the BP station near my house is $3.79 a gallon, so after a little math I realized the car cost about sixteen cents per mile, and one round-trip bike commute would save well over $1.00. Since Tuesday was a nice day, I decided it would be a good time to ride to work: I put my trunk box (complete with the new taillight I had made) on the back of the Dahon, and set off.

Shippan Avenue is rather flat, as is most of the ride. But once you get past the Urban Transitway and pass under the highway, there are a lot more cars to contend with. Even though I wasn't rushing through each intersection and would be passed by the motorists, I'd usually catch up with them again at the next light.

I pressed on through here, past the Stamford Town Center and took a left on Broad Street. Moments later, I took a right on Bedford Street, which is home to several great restaurants and businesses. At about 7:15 am, I paused at the red light to take a picture of the historic Avon Theatre, which frequently shows classics and just about any great film you can think of. See a movie there; you'll be glad you did.

Further up Bedford Street is the Bedford Street Diner. It's just past the police station, and if you go there by car you'll want to drive around to the back of the building for parking. With a bike, however, it's much easier to stop, and since I was coming to the part of the commute that had a couple of hills, I decided to stop for a donut.

If I didn't have so much to do at work, I would have stopped and locked the bike up to have a nice breakfast, but I knew from the signs outside the establishment they had homemade donuts. I bought two for $1.00, and when the woman behind the counter gave them to me wrapped in foil, I noticed they were still warm. I headed back outside, placed them in the trunk box, and continued off to work.

The donuts were still warm when I got there. So I ate them before I had a chance to take a picture. Yes, the donuts at the Bedford Street Diner are too good to be photographed.

Admittingly, by eating two of those delicious donuts, I negated some of the health benefits of cycling, but I still spent less on donuts than I would have on fuel, so there's that.

After I changed my shirt and put on deoderant (a must-do if you ride your bike to work) I looked down at my desk and snapped a picture of my helmet, which is shown next to the pen caddy I made out of glued-together microcassettes. The helmet has two key features: first, there's a hotel showercap stretched over it. The temperature that morning was in the mid to upper thirties, so a hotel showercap provides a little extra wind protection. I also have a helmet-mounted mirror, which is another essential for city cycling. I'd be a chalk outline without it, and I consider it a must have (I added the reflector as well as a piece of orange tape to make it easier to see if it falls off on a ride).

So now that you know the proper equipment and where the most amazing donuts in Stamford can be found, I recommend biking to work everyday...except when you'd rather take the car.

(Follow me on Twitter at @michaelknorris)