Coffeeneuring Rewind: Rediscovering a Passion for Bicycling with Marya and Bret
Perhaps I’m a bit biased, being an Iowan and all, but the simple beauty of cycling expressed by Marya and Bret pulled at my heart when I read it last year. I think many of us can relate to growing up with bikes, and then setting them aside in favor of other pasttimes and transportation modes when we reach our teenage years. Rediscovering a bicycle can … Continue reading Coffeeneuring Rewind: Rediscovering a Passion for Bicycling with Marya and Bret
A Theme Within a Theme Coffeeneuring Rewind: Visual Journaling with Kathy
Last year’s Coffeeneuring Challenge introduced a new option for participants: the theme within a theme. The idea took off with quite a few, including Kathy, the author and illustrator of today’s post. Kathy took on the theme of visual journaling, and the result is a vivid set of watercolor pieces Kathy painted during the course of the challenge. Many thanks to Kathy for today’s post! Remember, … Continue reading A Theme Within a Theme Coffeeneuring Rewind: Visual Journaling with Kathy
Coffeeneuring 2016: Save the Date and Rules Comment Period
Time to make a couple of announcements for the coffeeneuring register. First, the 6th Annual Coffeeneuring Challenge is a go for 2016. If you want to keep your official coffeeneuring streak alive, or if you want to give the challenge a whirl for the first time, the time for action is soon. The 2016 Coffeeneuring Challenge will take place from October 7-November 20. Next, if you would like … Continue reading Coffeeneuring 2016: Save the Date and Rules Comment Period
Ride Your Bikes, People
I’m fond of my active commute routine. My regular commute to work is predictable, pleasant. Over the years I’ve devised a sweet route that minimizes high-volume car traffic, and I store a nice selection of seasonal work clothes in my office. This week I’ve been thrust outside of my routine, which is pretty much a theme of 2016. Who needs routine? Routines are boring! Due … Continue reading Ride Your Bikes, People
Area Woman Stops Blogging for One Month. Here’s What Happened…
Lately it feels like my life is running on ahead of me at a pace I cannot match. I try to catch up, and my life skips easily away. Just as my life reaches the other side of the street, the stoplight turns red and halts me. Life ambles forward. Optimal velocity is difficult to achieve and sustain. Rather, it happens for me sporadically, and … Continue reading Area Woman Stops Blogging for One Month. Here’s What Happened…
Making the Experience Yours: Randonneuring
A while back, I wrote a post called Randonneur- and Real-Life Spouse, which attempted to articulate my frustration about feelings of exclusion from a particular brevet experience (the #randbro adventure). This piece also discussed some of the demeaning comments we have received over the years from men who think that my willingness to stoke a tandem was my partner’s way of motivating me to ride. I probably shouldn’t even … Continue reading Making the Experience Yours: Randonneuring
Acclimation Frustration in DC: Passing Out
“Ma’am, are you okay?” I realize a teenage boy is talking to me. “Yes, yes, I think so,” I answer, confused how the three boys came to be standing in front of me. Last I looked, they were several feet further down the path. I’m standing too, but a quick body check reveals that I wasn’t upright a moment ago. Blood flows out of my … Continue reading Acclimation Frustration in DC: Passing Out
Sierra Cascades Day 11: Detroit to Portland
If I don’t write about this day, I can pretend we will ride on to the next destination. Our tour won’t have ended, D.C. won’t be calling me home. But our final day on the road is over. We are in Portland now, our journey from Sacramento to Portland complete, and Felkerino breaks down the bike as I type. I began our 11th day of … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 11: Detroit to Portland
Sierra Cascades Day 10: Bend to Detroit
Leaving Bend was a surprisingly subdued experience, once the city streets were behind us. We followed one of the Oregon Bikeways for the first 15 miles- the best cycling miles of the day. In retrospect, we should have figured out if there was an Oregon Bikeway long cut to the town of Sisters because once we left the Bikeway and turned onto US20 the riding … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 10: Bend to Detroit
Sierra Cascades Day 9: Crescent Junction to Bend
The small towns in Oregon have been good to us. They manage to survive with decent to good lodging options, a convenience store, and often a nearby restaurant that opens early enough for bike touring breakfast and late enough for bike touring dinner. I’m grateful these towns hang on, unlike what you might find in other areas of the country. The assurance of food at … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 9: Crescent Junction to Bend
Sierra Cascades Day 8: Prospect to Crater Lake to Crescent Junction
“Adventureland, where you can ride the Tornado, see a family show, and hear a rock and roll band!” During my childhood in Iowa, an amusement park called Adventureland was the summer go-to place for families, second only to the state fair. When we reached the rim of Crater Lake, and that old Adventureland jingle began ringing around in my head. After our mellow day to … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 8: Prospect to Crater Lake to Crescent Junction
Sierra Cascades Day 7: Ashland to Prospect
Summer, where did you go? We rose away from Ashland, following the cerulean patches between the clouds, sure that we would find you and ride some miles in your company. But all we found was springtime. Blue disappeared and clouds blocked the sunshine. Temperatures hovered in the mid-40s to high 50s, making for comfortable climbing but chilly descents. Felkerino and I both wore jackets much … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 7: Ashland to Prospect
Sierra Cascades Day 6: Mt. Shasta to Ashland
Cloudy and cool this morning. Wahoo! The sun can take a break from burning a hole in my retina. We eat and coffee up at Seven Suns- best breakfast burrito ever- and roll quietly out of Mt. Shasta. No one follows us, but I can feel the mountain’s gaze on me. Even partially shrouded, the mountain keeps watch. Every view is a mountain view here, … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 6: Mt. Shasta to Ashland
Sierra Cascades Day 5: Burney to Mt. Shasta
Every day I sleep a full seven or eight hours, but each day that passes our cumulative miles make themselves known throughout my body. We’ve achieved true touring pace, I tell myself. A bowl of oatmeal and we’re on the back road out of Burney. Yay, we don’t have to deal with that no-shoulder rise or any logging trucks. We exchange it for a quiet … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 5: Burney to Mt. Shasta
Sierra Cascades Day 4: Mineral to Lassen Volcanic National Park to Burney
Climbing from Mineral and back up Morgan Summit ended up not being as daunting as I imagined. Knowing that Lassen Volcanic National Park awaited us around the bend inspired us forward, too. Our friends and Instagram buddies told us Lassen would be an eye popping ride, and we took our time pedaling through it. This was also because our leaden legs couldn’t go much faster, … Continue reading Sierra Cascades Day 4: Mineral to Lassen Volcanic National Park to Burney
