August 2011
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My PBP 2011 Photos
Hard to believe that last week at this time I was still riding my bike through the French countryside on Paris Brest Paris. Where does the time go, ha! Finally, after a canceled flight to Dulles that required a re-route and a mighty drive from Boston (in a tropical storm, no less) I have had… Continue reading
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It’s official. Finished PBP
After months of prep, PBP 2011 is now in the books and so are Felkerino and me, successfully completing the adventure in about 81.5 hours. Continue reading
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PBP… the Riders are Off!!!
80 and 90 hour riders began to a warm and sunny send-off. The energy from the riders and the event enveloped this suburban town. Festive, excited, nervous, twitching with anticipation… The start was amazing. I have never seen an international cycling event like this. Unforgettable! One of the riders told me yesterday, “PBP is a… Continue reading
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PBP Bike Inspection: Day 2!
Today was our day for the 84-hour bike inspection and it went just the way we like it… uneventfully. We’re now checked in and ready to roll tomorrow morning. The gymnasium was much more low key this morning, in part because we went early and also because all the 80- and 90-hour riders inspected yesterday. Continue reading
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PBP bike inspection: Day 1
Excitement is reaching a fever pitch here, as the 90- and 80-hour riders gathered up their bikes, vests, and lights for official inspection. Felkerino and I went over to be part of the action, even though we inspect tomorrow. Check-in was teeming with randonneurs. How cool this event is, attracting riders from all over the… Continue reading
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Randonneur Group Ride… to Chartres
Another sublime day on the bike. Today Felkerino planned a group ride to Chartres, a 77 mile round trip over gentle rolling terrain. Our outing included randonneurs from D.C, Seattle, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Chicago. It was another great day to be a bike rider and I am still just over the moon about our… Continue reading
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PBP Shakedown ride… To Rambouillet!
Today Felkerino and I went out to test our bike assembly and turn a bolt or two. Our test ride took us out of the Paris suburbs and through the Rambouillet Forest to the town of Rambouillet, about a 20-mile ride from our hotel one way. Having never been to France, let alone PBP, before… Continue reading
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Arriving in France for PBP
A big first day, spent jet-lagged and with the main activity being bile assembly. Felkerino and I also had a great time talking with randonneur friends old and new. Here is a quick summary of the day in pics. Continue reading
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Five Things Friday
Wow, the weeks are flying by, and it’s time for Felkerino and me to get off our bikes, take our hands off the keyboards, and pack pack pack for Paris-Brest-Paris. First, though, a quick five things Friday to reflect on life of late. Thanks to everybody who helped Felkerino and me prepare in some way… Continue reading
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D.C. Commuting: The Motorcade
Washington, D.C., is an exciting city for bike commuters. Every day we get to navigate our way through cars, potholes, pedestrians, and tourists(who are often also pedestrians). That sounds like lots of other big cities, I suppose. But in Washington, D.C., another aspect distinguishes our commute. Motorcades! Continue reading
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Bikes to Like: Gary D.’s Independent Fabrication
This week I’m featuring a PBP-bound bicycle, Gary’s Independent. This bike gets in a lot of long rides with Gary, as he is fond of keeping an active brevet and permanents schedule. Gary seems to really enjoy the ride of his Independent and he makes sure it gets lots of TLC at College Park Bicycles… Continue reading
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Big Bicycling, a Farm, and a PBP Party
This weekend Felkerino and I met up with our friend Alec for a final ride on the tandem before the big trip to Paris. For a nice change of pace, the day started out sunny with temps in the 80s. It was a well-timed reward for all the hot long days in the saddle this… Continue reading
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Bikes to Like: Lowell and Cheri’s Santana Sovereign
Last year I watched as Lowell and Cheri completed a Super Randonneur series on their beautiful Santana tandem. It was pretty cool to see, as Cheri had recently started randonneuring, and not only completed an SR series, but went on to complete an R-12, too! Their Santana always looks so good, that I just had… Continue reading
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My Reward for PBP Training: Little Package Cycling Caps
With Paris-Brest-Paris quickly approaching and the bulk of our training in the books, I decided to reward myself with a new cycling cap. Where did I turn for the perfect cap? Why, Little Package, of course! I learned about Little Package via one of my cycling friends. After seeing his fancy cap, I decided I… Continue reading
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Randonneur Recruiting: the National Parks Passport Book
Recently I went to the Randonneurs USA (RUSA) website to take a peek at the most recent membership information. According to their data, RUSA currently has 2,848 active members. To my mind, 2,848 is not a large membership given our nation’s current population. Also, the number of women compared to men is quite disproportionate. What… Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 