grumble grumble grumble

Thorn resistant tubes are so heavy!!! I feel like my bike is 10 lbs heavier now...just kidding about the 10 lbs, but seriously it's heavier.
Heavier but necessary. I think the thorns that are all over Merced are called goat heads. -they have a long sharp thorn.
The bike lanes on the main roads have lots of debris. I wish the street sweepers would clean the roads I use alot. There is lots of glass, rocks, pebbles, dead animals.
Our bike trails are nice...but this time of year there are still thorns. I will ride and stay on paved trails, not going off road, and I will still pick up thorns.
The other problem with the trails are the amount of rude people that walk on the trails. It's mostly familys that are walking with lots of kids and dogs. They span the width of the whole trail. They don't leave room for bikes. I will call out "bicycle on your left" two to three times...and it isnt until the last minute they startle because I'm coming up to them...and then instead of keeping to the right...they will some go left some go right and leave a little area in the middle for me to go through...and someone who's gone left decided to go right at the last minute and I lose any speed that I had because I have to put on my break and practically stop...sometimes completely stop. It's maddening! Some people will walk their dog and let the leash out so the dog is on one side of the trail and the leash is like a barrier for anyone comming by.
Very few people keep to the right half of the trail...